Species Variation in the Mechanisms of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Mediated Immunosuppression (141.45)

Abstract

Abstract Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great promise for treating immune disorders, although the immunoregulatory mechanisms remain largely controversial. Here we show that the mechanisms of MSC-mediated immunosuppression vary in different species. Under the same culture conditions, immunosuppression by MSCs derived from human or monkey was mediated by indoleamine 2, 3 dioxygenase (IDO), while immunosuppression by mouse MSCs depended on nitric oxide (NO). When the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and IDO were examined in mouse and human MSCs stimulated with their respective inflammatory cytokines, we found that human MSCs expressed high levels of IDO, but very low levels of iNOS, while mouse MSCs expressed high levels of iNOS and very little IDO. Except the executor molecules, moreover, the human and mouse MSCs shared some similarities. Like in mouse MSCs, immunosuppression by human MSCs was not intrinsic, but inducible by inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, IDO-mediated immunosuppression by human MSCs is also chemokine-dependent. These findings help to explain the apparently conflicting reports in the literatures and provide critical information to allow better application of human MSCs in treating immune disorders.