Gong SS, Li ML, Liu L, Lv B. Tongxie Yaofang enhances the homing efficiency of exogenous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells to the colonic mucosa and alleviates ulcerative colitis. World J Stem Cells 2026; 18(6): 119228 [DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.119228]
Reader's ID:
07780171
Submitted on:
July 04, 2026, 12:57
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Reader Comments:
I am very grateful for the opportunity to write this reader comment. Ulcerative colitis (UC) remains a clinical challenge. Conventional therapeutic regimens offer only limited benefit. Although stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising alternative, its efficacy is substantially restricted by the inefficient homing of bone marrow‑derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to the inflamed colonic mucosa. In the present study, Gong et al. designed both in vitro and in vivo experiments. They investigated whether Tongxie Yaofang (TXYF) modulates BMSC homing in a colitis model. They also sought to dissect the specific molecular mechanisms involved. The therapeutic efficacy of combined TXYF and BMSC intervention was evaluated through macroscopic, microscopic, structural, and functional indicators. This is a well‑conducted study. The background is logically presented with reference to relatively recent literature. The experimental design is comprehensive and innovative, and the chain of evidence is largely complete. The methodology is described in sufficient detail to ensure good reproducibility. The discussion section offers a reasonable interpretation of the results. It draws effective comparisons with previous studies and highlights the clinical significance of the findings. The authors also employ accurate and appropriate professional terminology throughout. The authors note three main limitations. First, they did not perform chemical quality control for the TXYF formulation. Second, they were unable to track the long‑term survival and differentiation of BMSCs after homing. Third, other signalling pathways beyond SDF‑1/CXCR4 may also contribute to the observed pro‑homing effect, given the multicomponent nature of the herbal formula.