In vitro immunologic properties of human umbilical cord perivascular cells

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cell Biology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Human umbilical cord perivascular cells (HUCPVC) share bio-equivalency with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSC) regarding differentiation and marker expression.
• HUCPVC populations yield abundant, rapidly proliferating mesenchymal progenitor cells.
• Previous research established HUCPVC as a viable alternative to BM-MSC, prompting investigation into their immunological properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the in vitro immunologic phenotype of HUCPVC.
• To compare the immunomodulatory effects of HUCPVC with those of BM-MSC.
• To determine if HUCPVC exhibit immunosuppressive capabilities.

Main Methods:

• HUCPVC isolation via umbilical vessel extraction and enzymatic digestion.
• Lymphocyte proliferation assays in co-cultures with HUCPVC or BM-MSC and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL).
• Analysis of CD25 and CD45 expression in co-cultures and assessment of lymphocyte suppression using TransWell assays.

Main Results:

• Neither HUCPVC nor BM-MSC significantly increased lymphocyte proliferation in direct co-cultures.
• Both cell types markedly reduced PBL proliferation in one-way mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC).
• HUCPVC significantly decreased CD25 and CD45 expression on activated T-cells and reduced lymphocyte numbers when separated by a membrane.

Conclusions:

• HUCPVC are non-alloreactive and possess in vitro immunosuppressive functions.
• HUCPVC significantly inhibit lymphocyte activation, partly mediated by soluble factors.
• The immunologic phenotype of HUCPVC closely resembles that of BM-MSC.