Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Support Lymphangiogenic Parameters In Vitro

It is a common complication to develop a secondary lymphedema after surgery or radiation, for example, after axillary lymph node dissection due to breast cancer and current therapies are mainly symptomatic. Since these surgical procedures result in both, loss of adipose tissue and loss of lymphatic nodes and vessels, tissue engineering could be a new promising approach, to create an adipose tissue substitute comprised with a lymphatic network. We have conducted co-culture experiments to investigate the effects of human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) on human lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) in terms of gene expression profile, proliferation, migration, and tube formation in vitro. In this respect, both cell types were co-cultured either indirectly or directly with or without the recombinant growth factor VEGF-C. Indirect co-cultures were performed with the aid of a transwell chamber. In case of direct co-culture, immunomagnetic separation by CD31 magnetic beads allowed examination of the LEC population. Direct and indirect co-culture of ASCs induced mRNA expression of lymphatic marker genes, proliferation, and migration by LECs without affecting tube formation. Thus, we have shown that co-culture of ASCs with LECs might be a feasible approach that could be used in cell-based tissue engineering therapies to heal or improve a secondary lymphedema. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 2620-2629, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.