# Bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells metabolic reprogramming in systemic lupus erythematosus: remodeling of bone marrow microenvironment and regulation of immune cell fate

**Authors:** Xiaoxiao Yang, Jiashuo Cheng, Jun Xiao, Zhifeng Gu, Chen Dong

PMC · DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1725298 · 2026-02-27

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how metabolic changes in bone marrow cells contribute to immune dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus.

## Contribution

The paper offers a comprehensive review of BMSC metabolic reprogramming in SLE and its clinical implications.

## Key findings

- BMSCs undergo metabolic reprogramming in SLE due to oxidative stress and inflammatory factors.
- Disrupted glucose, lipid, and mitochondrial metabolism in BMSCs affect immune cell regulation.
- Altered BMSC metabolism contributes to immune-mediated inflammation and disease progression in SLE.

## Abstract

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease characterized by dysregulated immune tolerance, abnormal secretion of autoantibodies, and multi-organ damage. Among them, mutations in genetic susceptibility genes, abnormal epigenetic modifications, excessive oxidative stress, abnormal accumulation of inflammatory factors, and intestinal flora disorders are all key specific factors that lead to immune dysfunction, abnormal production of autoantibodies, and multi-organ damage in patients with SLE. The bone marrow microenvironment, as a key niche for immune cell development, plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of SLE, especially through the metabolic reprogramming of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs). Recently, studies have demonstrated that under the influence of the bone marrow microenvironment, BMSCs can undergo metabolic reprogramming, regulated by the aforementioned abnormal factors related to SLE, the key metabolic pathways such as glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism and mitochondrial metabolism are disrupted, thereby affecting their regulatory functions on various immune cells. This process plays a role in the development and progression of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases like SLE. This article provides a comprehensive review of the current knowledge regarding the metabolic regulatory mechanism of the BMSCs on the immune cells in SLE and discusses recent advances in clinical translation.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (MONDO:0007915), SLE (MONDO:0007915)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** immune dysfunction (MESH:D007154), multi-organ damage (MESH:D000092124), SLE (MESH:D008180), inflammatory (MESH:D007249)
- **Chemicals:** lipid (MESH:D008055), glucose (MESH:D005947)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Figures

1 figure with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12982356/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12982356