Abstract

During the last decade the interest for the mesenchymal cells is growing due to their possible uses in therapies to treat certain degenerative pathologies. Mesenchymal stem cells have been found in the bone marrow and they have been shown to be responsible for bone repair and fat cells production. Mesenchymal stromal cells can be obtained from a wide variety of tissues in addition to bone marrow and can differentiate into many other cell types. The study of cell differentiation and programming provides new models for drug discovery and cell therapy that now overcomes gene therapy. Senescence, cancer development and degenerative diseases depend on mesenchymal cells contribution to tissue homeostasis. On the other hand, diet and life style are included among risk factors, which can contribute to the success of pharmacological treatments. This review focuses on nutrients from Mediterranean diet and supplements, which have been shown to influence mesenchymal stem cells and cells derived from them. Dietary intake of nutrients impairs both in vitro and in vivo observations, this review aims to gather the results about the effects of food compounds on mesenchymal cells from which adipocytes and osteoblasts derive. Amino acids and proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, fatty acids and vegetable secondary metabolites, differently act on mesenchymal cells bearing on modulation of gene expression and controlling the fate of cell lineages. Remarkable, the analysis of literature shows that the main effect of nutrients on mesenchymal cells is the stimulation of transcription factors which address the cells toward proliferation or differentiation. For instance, carbohydrates, simple or complex, and lipids appear to stimulate the PPAR receptors, whereas proteins and amino acids result to act on the mTOR system and they can also stimulate the MyoD-1 transcription factor and cooperating proteins. In conclusion, nutrients can promote cell growth and differentiation of mesenchymal cells.