Human Wharton's jelly stem cells inhibit endometriosis through apoptosis induction

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology
• Stem cell research
• Oncology

Background:

• Endometriosis is characterized by endometrial tumors and stroma, with suppressed apoptosis being a key pathological feature.
• Human Wharton's jelly stem cells (hWJSCs) are known to inhibit cancer cell growth and proliferation by inducing apoptosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the in vitro effects of hWJSCs conditioned medium (hWJSC-CM) and cell-free lysate (hWJSC-CL) on endometriosis cells.
• To evaluate the impact of hWJSC-CM and hWJSC-CL on endometriosis cell viability, proliferation, morphology, colony formation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis.

Main Methods:

• Endometriosis cells were treated with varying concentrations of hWJSC-CM and hWJSC-CL.
• Assays included viability, proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis assessments.
• Gene expression analysis for MMP-2, MMP-9, BAX, BCL-2, SMAC, and SURVIVIN was performed.

Main Results:

• hWJSC-CM and hWJSC-CL significantly decreased endometriosis cell viability, proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion in a dose- and time-dependent manner.
• Treatment led to increased morphological alterations and apoptosis in endometriosis cells.
• Reduced migration and invasion were linked to decreased MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression, while apoptosis induction involved regulation of BAX, BCL-2, SMAC, and SURVIVIN.

Conclusions:

• hWJSC-CM and hWJSC-CL exhibit potential in inhibiting endometriosis cells through multiple physiological mechanisms, including apoptosis induction and modulation of key gene expressions.
• Further in vivo studies using animal models are warranted to validate these findings and explore therapeutic applications.