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World J Stem Cells. Jun 26, 2026; 18(6): 117267
Published online Jun 26, 2026. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.117267
Published online Jun 26, 2026. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.117267
From discarded tissues to therapeutic assets: Optimizing mesenchymal stem cell sources and secretome signatures for clinical translation
Guan-Yu Chen, Jia-Bing Kang, Wen-Jing Xiang, Department of Experimental Orofacial Medicine, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg 35039, Germany
Meng Liu, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
Co-first authors: Guan-Yu Chen and Jia-Bing Kang.
Author contributions: Chen GY and Kang JB contributed equally to this manuscript and as co-first authors of this manuscript. Chen GY and Liu M contributed to the conception and design of the work, and critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content; Kang JB contributed to the conceptualization of the work and drafting of the manuscript; Xiang WJ contributed to the acquisition and interpretation of the literature and participated in manuscript drafting. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
AI contribution statement: DeepL and Grammarly were used for translation and language polishing. Figures were created by the authors using Figdraw (a vector-based tool), not generative AI.
Supported by China Scholarship Council, No. 202408520036.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Meng Liu, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No. 130 Huaihai West Road, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China. 578647325@qq.com
Received: December 3, 2025
Revised: December 28, 2025
Accepted: February 10, 2026
Published online: June 26, 2026
Processing time: 204 Days and 9.9 Hours
Revised: December 28, 2025
Accepted: February 10, 2026
Published online: June 26, 2026
Processing time: 204 Days and 9.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This editorial reframes discarded biological tissues, particularly those from oral and maxillofacial surgery, as valuable regenerative assets rather than medical waste. Drawing on comparative insights from adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells, we highlight how the neural crest origin of dental mesenchymal stem cells endows them with unique secretome signatures and therapeutic potential. Furthermore, we discuss advanced engineering strategies - such as hypoxic preconditioning, three-dimensional culture, and smart hydrogel delivery - to overcome secretome heterogeneity and facilitate the clinical translation of these cell-free therapies for precision regenerative medicine.