间充质干细胞/基质细胞（MSC）因其具有分化成各种细胞类型的卓越能力而受到认可。此外，它们还表现出抗肿瘤特性，促使人们努力修饰间充质干细胞以用于癌症治疗。相反，必须认识到间充质干细胞与促进肿瘤进展的途径广泛相关。许多研究都试图改造间充质干细胞以用于临床应用；然而，结果并不明确，可能是由于 MSC 群体的异质性。此外，间充质干细胞在抑制和促进肿瘤生长方面的相互冲突的作用对其在抗癌治疗中的应用的适当性提出了挑战。目前，对于MSCs对胃癌（GC）的抗肿瘤和促肿瘤特性缺乏全面的了解。本文讨论了 MSC 对 GC 的影响、潜在机制、MSC 的起源及其作用。这篇综述文章还阐明了间充质干细胞如何表现出促进和抑制肿瘤生长的双重特性。因此，针对利用 MSC 作为癌症治疗干预的临床研究，考虑 MSC 加速 GC 进展的潜力至关重要。在开发基于 MSC 的细胞疗法的整个过程中保持谨慎至关重要，以增强其抗癌特性，同时消除其促进肿瘤的影响。版权所有 © 2024 Elsevier GmbH。版权所有。

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are acknowledged for their remarkable ability to undergo differentiation into various cell types. In addition, they exhibit anti-tumor characteristics, prompting endeavors to modify MSCs for employment in cancer therapies. On the contrary, it is imperative to recognize that MSCs have been extensively linked to pathways that facilitate the advancement of tumors. Numerous research studies have sought to modify MSCs for clinical application; however, the outcomes have been ambiguous, potentially due to the heterogeneity of MSC populations. Furthermore, the conflicting roles of MSCs in suppressing and promoting tumor growth present a challenge to the appropriateness of their use in anti-cancer therapies. Currently, there exists a lack of comprehensive comprehension concerning the anti-tumor and pro-tumor characteristics of MSCs for gastric cancer (GC). This article discusses the influence of MSCs on GC, the underlying mechanisms, the origins of MSCs, and their effects. This review article also elucidates how MSCs exhibit dual characteristics of promoting and inhibiting tumor growth. Hence, it is of utmost importance that clinical inquiries aimed at utilizing MSCs as a therapeutic intervention for cancer consider the potentiality of MSCs to accelerate the progression of GC. It is crucial to exercise caution throughout the process of developing MSC-based cellular therapies to enhance their anti-cancer attributes while simultaneously eliminating their tumor-promoting impacts.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.