Menstrual blood stem cells as a potential source for cell therapy

Cell replacement and restorative therapies show great promise for the treatment of various diseases and traumas. Various types of stem cells that are rather different in terms of biological properties are evaluated as potential sources for cell therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) display relatively high proliferative activity and high level of plasticity and can be differentiated not only into cells of mesenchymal lineage, but also neurons. Among the MSC populations, the population of endometrial stem cells, including that present in the menstrual blood, is readily available. In the current review, we analyze the biological properties of the menstrual blood stem cells and the possibilities of using them as a potential source for cell therapy.