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Assessment of the Immunomodulatory Properties of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)
Published on: December 24, 2015
A simple method for identifying bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells with a high immunosuppressive potential
Roberta Rizzo1, Giacomo Lanzoni, Marina Stignani
1Department of Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Section of Medical Genetics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. rbr@unife.it
Cytotherapy
|December 22, 2010
Summary
Interleukin-10 (IL-10) stimulates mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) to produce HLA-G, a marker of immunosuppressive function. This finding offers a potential biomarker for optimizing MSC therapy in transplantation.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Transplantation Science
Background:
- Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) show therapeutic potential in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
- Optimizing MSC therapy requires precise dosing, timing, and biomarker identification for patient selection.
- Bone marrow-derived MSC (BM-MSC) immunosuppression is linked to soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) production, potentially mediated by IL-10.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a reliable method for evaluating HLA-G expression in BM-MSC.
- To assess the influence of IL-10 on HLA-G production by BM-MSC.
- To investigate the correlation between HLA-G expression and the immunoregulatory activity of BM-MSC.
Main Methods:
- Thirteen BM-MSC samples were analyzed.
- BM-MSC were activated with recombinant IL-10 or co-cultured with phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-treated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).
- Membrane-bound and soluble HLA-G expression were quantified using flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively. Lymphoproliferation was measured via (methyl-(3)H)thymidine incorporation.
Main Results:
- IL-10 effectively stimulated both membrane-bound and soluble HLA-G production in BM-MSC.
- Increased HLA-G expression levels correlated significantly with the inhibition of PHA-PBMC proliferation.
- Specific correlations were observed for both sHLA-G (P = 0.0008, r = 0.9308) and membrane HLA-G (P = 0.0005, r = 0.9502).
Conclusions:
- IL-10 treatment enhances HLA-G production by BM-MSC.
- Soluble HLA-G production in IL-10-treated BM-MSC cultures may serve as a biomarker for immunoregulatory function.
- This finding supports the potential use of HLA-G as a marker for optimizing MSC-based therapies.
