Transcriptome-aligned metabolic profiling by SERSome reflects biological changes following mesenchymal stem cells...

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology and Regenerative Medicine
• Spectroscopy and Analytical Chemistry
• Cell Biology and Stem Cell Research

Background:

• Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are utilized in diverse clinical applications and medical aesthetics.
• MSCs present challenges in monitoring due to heterogeneity, limited stability, and complex molecular characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the application of Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) for robust metabolic profiling of MSCs.
• To establish SERSomes for comprehensive intracellular multi-metabolite analysis across different MSC passages and donors.

Main Methods:

• Employed SERS, an ultrasensitive, low-cost fingerprinting technique, for molecular identification.
• Utilized spectral sets, termed SERSomes, for reproducible quantification of ultralow molecule concentrations.
• Integrated SERS-derived metabolic data with transcriptomic data for correlation analysis.

Main Results:

• Identified a decline in MSC expansion efficiency with increasing passage number.
• Observed significant changes in intracellular amino acids, purines, and pyrimidines correlating with passage number.
• Established correlations between SERS metabolic signals, biological changes, and differentially expressed genes.

Conclusions:

• SERSomes effectively reflect the biological characteristics and metabolic status of MSCs.
• The label-free SERSome technique is suitable for monitoring MSC expansion and quality control.
• SERS offers advantages for large-scale MSC manufacturing due to its sensitivity, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness.