Interleukins Profiling in Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Secretome

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Immunology
• Stem Cell Biology

Background:

• Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from umbilical cords (UC-MSCs) produce secretomes utilized in regenerative therapies.
• UC-MSC secretomes contain bioactive molecules, including interleukins (ILs), which mediate paracrine effects on immunomodulation and regeneration.
• Limited data exists on the specific IL profiles within UC-MSC secretomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To profile and quantify the concentrations of various interleukins secreted by UC-MSCs.
• To investigate the impact of incubation time on the IL profile of UC-MSC secretomes.

Main Methods:

• UC-MSC secretomes were collected from cells at passage 5 after 24- and 48-hour incubations.
• Secretomes were filtered and stored, followed by normalization and detection of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12, and IL-17A using a MACSPlex Cytokine Kit.

Main Results:

• Interleukin-6 (IL-6) exhibited the highest concentration among all detected ILs.
• IL-6 concentration significantly increased after 48 hours of incubation (p<0.003).
• A trend of decreasing pro-inflammatory ILs and increasing anti-inflammatory ILs was observed with longer incubation, with exceptions for IL-10 and IL-6.

Conclusions:

• UC-MSCs secrete a mix of pro- and anti-inflammatory interleukins.
• Incubation time influences the balance of secreted ILs, with potential implications for therapeutic timing.
• IL-6 is a key component of the UC-MSC secretome, and its concentration changes with incubation duration.