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Updated: Apr 18, 2026
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Regulation of Macrophage Phagocytosis; Quantitation and Imaging
Published on: July 16, 2021
Mesenchymal stem cells recruit macrophages to alleviate experimental colitis through TGFβ1
Weixin Liu1, Shen Zhang, Shouzhi Gu
1Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Background/Aims:
Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been shown to alleviate dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) -induced colitis through modulation of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) receptor signaling. However, the exact molecular mechanisms are not known.
Methods:
Here, we transplanted primary mouse MSCs or injected TGFβ1 into mice with DSS-induced colitis. Cells were purified by flow cytometry. Gene expression was analyzed by RT-qPCR.
Results:
We found that MSCs significantly alleviated the DSS-induced colitis, and the major sources for TGFβ1 were macrophages that were recruited by MSCs. Specific ablation of macrophages completely abolished the anti-inflammatory effects of MSCs. On the other hand, TGFβ1 administration, without the presence of MSCs, was sufficient to reduce the severity of DSS-induced colitis.
Conclusions:
Taken together, our data suggest that MSCs transplantation may recruit macrophages to produce TGFβ1, which mitigates the pathology of colitis. Thus, MSCs transplantation appears to be a promising therapy for severe enteritis.
