Transcriptome differences in adipose stromal cells derived from pre- and postmenopausal women

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Immunology
• Genomics

Background:

• Aging population increases postmenopausal women as adipose stromal cell (ASC) donors.
• Autologous ASC treatments may benefit these women.
• The impact of menopausal status on ASCs remains uninvestigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of menopausal status on adipose stromal cells (ASCs).
• To identify transcriptome differences in ASCs from pre- and postmenopausal women.
• To explore the immunoregulatory role of ASCs based on menopausal status.

Main Methods:

• RNA sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between pre- and postmenopausal ASCs.
• Gene Ontology and pathway analyses for DEG functional enrichment.
• Gene coexpression network analysis to identify hub genes and preserve interactions.
• Co-culture assays with monocytes and T cells to assess immunoregulatory functions.

Main Results:

• Identified 2299 DEGs with distinct expression profiles between pre- and postmenopausal ASCs.
• Pathway analysis highlighted terms related to fertility, sex hormones, immunity, aging, and angiogenesis.
• Key hub genes (TIE1, ANGPT2, RNASE1, PLVAP, CA2, MPZL2) were consistently identified.
• Postmenopausal ASCs induced M1 polarization in monocytes, while premenopausal ASCs promoted CD3/4+ T cell proliferation.

Conclusions:

• The study reveals significant transcriptome differences in ASCs based on menopausal status.
• Gene coexpression network analysis provides a holistic view of gene interactions.
• Identified hub genes may serve as potential therapeutic targets for enhancing ASC efficacy.