Human Cord Blood Mesenchymal Stem Cells Research Articles

Delivery of miR-26a Using an Exosomes-Based Nanosystem Inhibited Proliferation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: MicroRNA (abbreviated miRNA)-based treatment holds great promise for application as clinical antitumor therapy, but good carriers for delivery of the miRNA drug are lacking. Exosomes secreted by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have proved to be safe, and exogenously modified exosomes may potentially represent an excellent drug delivery vehicle.Methods: In this study, we designed a delivery nano system using single-stranded variable fragment (scFv)-modified exosomes derived from human cord blood MSCs. Genetic engineering technology was used to obtain anti-Glypican 3 (GPC3) scFv-modified exosomes, which were then loaded with miR-26a mimics through electroporation.Results: Results of electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering indicated that the diameter of the drug-carrying exosomes was about 160 nm. Furthermore, anti-GPC3 scFv-modified exosomes effectively delivered miR-26a to GPC3-positive hepatocellular carcinoma cells, thereby inhibiting cell proliferation and migration by regulating the expression of downstream target genes of miR-26a. The exosomes-based nano system displayed favorable anti-tumor effect in vivo with no obvious side effects.Conclusion: Our data provided a new perspective for the use of exosome delivery systems for miRNA-based antitumor therapy.

Cloning of human cord blood-mesenchymal stem cells for isolation of enriched cell population of higher proliferation and differentiation potential

Heterogeneity of Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) imposes limitations for their in vitro expansion and accounts for the lack of reproducibility in some clinical studies. So, this study was designed to isolate and enrich clones of multipotent and self-renewing MSCs from cord blood (CB). Enriched clones with higher proliferation and differentiation potential provide regenerative cells suitable for various clinical demands. MSCA and MSCB original (progenitor) cells were isolated from CB samples, and single cells were cloned by limiting dilution method, in mouse embryonic fibroblast conditioned media. Original MSCs and their single-cell derived clones were characterized by identifying their proliferation rate, immunophenotyping of surface antigens, expression of pluripotency and proliferation genes (Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, KLF4, c-Myc, and PDGFRA), and differentiation potential into multiple lineages (osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic). Some single-cell clones of MSCA showed a higher proliferation rate and greater differentiation potential than their original cells. However, original MSCB cells were of greater proliferation and differentiation potential than their derived single-cell clones, except for one clone which hadcomparable results. Cloning of MSCs was attainable when cultured in mouse embryonic fibroblast conditioned media. Single clones with higher proliferation and differentiation potential than their original progenitor cells were obtained by cloning of poorly functioning MSCs progenitor cells, enabling the selection of more therapeutically efficacious MSCs with better performance in clinical applications. Moreover, this study draws attention to the importance of CD105 as a possible MSCs biomarker associated with the multilineage commitment of MSCs.

Survivin Is a Master Regulator of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Functions and Potential Therapeutic Target for Mesenchymal Stem Cell Expansion

Mesenchymal stemcells (MSCs) are found throughout adult organisms and are involved in tissue maintenance and repair, as well as in the regulation of hematopoiesis and immunologic responses. Several clinical trials are currently under way to use allogeneic MSCs for enhancement of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and treatment of graft-versus-host disease, spinal cord injury, cartilage and meniscus repair, and stroke. However, the therapeutic uses of MSCs can be limited by insufficient MSC number, their survival, and their ability to differentiate into multiple lineages, pointing to an important need to identify factors regulating MSC survival, proliferation, and differentiation. In this study, we explored the role of the anti-apototic protein Survivin in MSC functions. Survivin is an intracellular member of the inhibitor-of-apoptosis protein (IAP) family and is implicated in regulation of apoptosis, cell division, and cell cycle control of many cell types including hematopoietic stem cells, leukemic cells, and endothelial cells. However, whether Survivin is involved in MSC activity or function is unknown. Using flow cytometry and function assays, we found that adult mouse and human MSCs, identified as CD45-Ter119-CD51+PDGFR+Nestin+ cells, express high levels of Survivin, which regulates MSCs survival and expansion under normal physiological and stressful conditions. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that approximately 40.5±3.6% of mouse bone marrow MSCs, 33.6±4.2% of adult human bone marrow MSCs, and 43.6±5.3% human cord blood MSCs express Survivin. Treatment of mice in vivo with YM155 (10 mg/kg), a small molecule Survivin inhibitor, for 6 days decreased bone marrow CD45-Ter119-CD51+PDGFR+Nestin+ MSC by 2.1 fold and functional fibroblast colony formation (CFU-F) by 2.8 fold. Survivin gene deletion using Survivin-specific SiRNA decreased mouse and human bone marrow derived MSCs number and CFU-F ability by 3.2 fold and 2.8 fold respectively. Retroviral overexpression of Survivin in mouse MSCs enhanced CFU-F formation by 4 fold. In an in vitro wound healing assay YM155-treated MSCs recovered more slowly compared to control cultures. To determine underlying mechanisms involved in Survivin dependent regulation of MSC function, we measured the survival and proliferation of YM155 treated MSCs. Treatment of mouse or human bone marrow-derived MSCs with YM155 (50 nmol/l) for 48 hours enhanced the caspase 3 and 7 expression by 42.8% and 63.9% respectively, while BrdU incorporation was similar in control and YM155-treated MSCs, suggesting that Survivin is primarily involved in MSC survival. To explore whether Survivin is also involved in growth factor-mediated MSC survival and expansion, mouse bone marrow derived MSCs were cultured in the presence of platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) or basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF) with or without the Survivin inhibitor YM155. PDGF enhanced the Survivin expression by 52.8±2.2% and b-FGF enhanced Survivin expression by 43.8±4.5% and increased the CFU-F counts by 5.6 fold and 4.2 fold, respectively. In contrast, YM155 treated MSCs did not show any enhancement in Survivin expression, and CFU-F were substantially lower than the corresponding controls (PDGF or b-FGF treated cultures). To determine whether Survivin affects the Survival of stressed MSCs, we exposed mouse bone marrow MSCs to 4 Gy irradiation dose and followed by culture for 3 days with or without the Survivin inhibitor YM155. Irradiation alone reduced the survival of MSCs by 53.5%, however the viability of irradiated MSCs treated with YM155 was reduced by 82.8%. The hallmark of MSC function is the capacity to differentiate into several mesodermal lineages. We found that the exposure of MSC cultures to YM155 during the lineage differentiation process inhibits MSC osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation while sparing chondrogenic cell differentiation. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that Survivin controls basal and growth factor dependent survival and expansion of mouse and human MSCs, and protects them from irradiation induced cell death. Furthermore, our data suggest the regulating Survivin expression in MSCs would be beneficial to enhance MSC recovery for clinical utility. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Experimental Study on the Effect of Intravenous Stem Cell Therapy on Intestinal Ischemia Reperfusion Induced Myocardial Injury

The myocyte death that follows intestinal ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major factor contributing to high mortality and morbidity in ischemic heart disease. The purpose of stem cell (SC) therapy for myocardial infarction is to improve clinical outcomes. The present study aimed at investigating the possible therapeutic effect of intravenous human cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (HCBMSCs) on intestinal ischemia reperfusion induced cardiac muscle injury in albino rat. Thirty male albino rats were divided equally into control (Sham-operated) group, I/R group where rats were exposed to superior mesenteric artery ligation for 1 hour followed by 1 hour reperfusion. In SC therapy group, the rats were injected with HCBMSCs into the tail vein. The rats were sacrificed four weeks following therapy. Cardiac muscle sections were exposed to histological, histochemical, immunohistochemical and morphometric studies. In I/R group, multiple fibers exhibited deeply acidophilic sarcoplasm with lost striations and multiple fibroblasts appeared among the muscle fibers. In SC therapy group, few fibers appeared with deeply acidophilic sarcoplasm and lost striations. Mean area of muscle fibers with deeply acidophilic sarcoplasm and mean area% of fibroblasts were significantly decreased compared to I/R group. Prussion blue and CD105 positive cells were found in SC therapy group among the muscle fibers, inside and near blood vessels. Intestinal I/R induced cardiac muscle degenerative changes. These changes were ameliorated following HCBMSC therapy. A reciprocal relation was recorded between the extent of regeneration and the existence of undifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells.

Transplantation of cord blood mesenchymal stem cells as spheroids enhances vascularization.

Despite promising results from the therapeutic use of stem cells for treating ischemic diseases, the poor survival of cells transplanted into ischemic regions is one of the major problems that undermine the efficacy of stem cell therapy. Cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMNCs) are an alternative source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) without disadvantages, such as the painful and invasive harvesting procedure, of MSCs derived from bone marrow or adipose tissue. In the present study, we investigated whether the angiogenic efficacy of cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (CBMSCs) can be enhanced by grafting as spheroids in a mouse hindlimb ischemia model. Human CBMSC (hCBMSC) spheroids were prepared by using the hanging-drop method. Mouse hindlimb ischemia was induced by excising the femoral artery and its branches. After surgery, the animals were divided into no-treatment, dissociated hCBMSC, and spheroid hCBMSC groups (n=8 per group) and received corresponding hCBMSC treatments. After surgery, the ischemic hindlimbs were monitored for 4 weeks, and then, the ischemic hindlimb muscles were harvested for histological analysis. Apoptotic signaling, angiogenesis-related signal pathways, and blood vessel formation were investigated in vitro and/or in vivo. The transplantation of hCBMSCs as spheroids into mouse ischemic hindlimbs significantly improved the survival of the transplanted cells by suppressing apoptotic signaling while activating antiapoptotic signaling. Furthermore, the transplantation of hCBMSCs as spheroids significantly increased the number of microvessels and smooth muscle α-actin-positive vessels in the ischemic limbs of mice, and attenuated limb loss and necrosis. Human CBMNC can be considered an alternative source of MSC, and spheroid-based hCBMSC delivery can be considered a simple and effective strategy for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of hCBMSCs.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Require MARCKS Protein for Directed Chemotaxis In Vitro

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reside within tissues such as bone marrow, cord blood, and dental pulp and can differentiate into other mesenchymal cell types. Differentiated MSCs, called circulating fibrocytes, have been demonstrated in human lungs and migrate to injured lung tissue in experimental models. It is likely that MSCs migrate from the bone marrow to sites of injury by following increasing chemokine concentrations. In the present study, we show that primary mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) exhibit directed chemotaxis through transwell inserts toward increasing concentrations of the chemokines complement component 5a, stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1. Prior research has indicated that myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) protein is critically important for motility in macrophages, neutrophils, and fibroblasts, and here we investigated a possible role for MARCKS in BM-MSC directed chemotaxis. The presence of MARCKS in these cells as well as in human cord blood MSC was verified by Western blotting, and MARCKS was rapidly phosphorylated in these cells after exposure to chemokines. A synthetic peptide that inhibits MARCKS function attenuated, in a concentration-dependent manner, directed chemotaxis of BM-MSCs, while a missense control peptide had no effect. Our results illustrate, for the first time, that MARCKS protein plays an integral role in BM-MSC-directed chemotaxis in vitro.

Life-Sparing Effect of Human Cord Blood-Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Experimental Acute Kidney Injury

In search for new sources of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for renal repair in acute kidney injury (AKI), we investigated the potential of human cord blood (CB)-MSCs to cure mice with AKI. Infusion of CB-MSCs in immunodeficient mice with cisplatin-induced AKI ameliorated both renal function and tubular cell injury, and prolonged survival. Transplanted CB-MSCs localized in peritubular areas, limited capillary alterations and neutrophil infiltration. Apoptosis reduced and tubular cell proliferation increased by virtue of stem cell capacity to produce growth factors. The reno-protective effect of CB-MSCs was further confirmed by their ability to inhibit oxidative damage and to induce the prosurvival factor Akt in tubular cells. The evidence that CB-MSCs in vitro increased the production of growth factors and inhibited IL-1 beta and TNFalpha synthesis when cocultured with damaged proximal tubular cells indicates a regenerative and anti-inflammatory action of stem cell treatment. Altogether these results highlight the potential of human CB-MSCs as future cell therapy for testing in human AKI.

Detection of specific nitrotyrosine-modified proteins as a marker of oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease

the oxidative modification of proteins is a natural consequence of aerobic life and is also recognized to play a crucial role in the pathological response of cells to increased oxidative stress. Several oxidative modifications of a protein can occur as a result of oxidative stress. These can range