EGFR mRNA-Engineered Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) Demonstrate Radioresistance to Moderate Dose of Simulated Cosmic...

Area of Science:

• Space exploration
• Radiation biology
• Cellular biology

Background:

• Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) pose significant risks to astronauts.
• Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are vital for tissue repair and regeneration.
• Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression is linked to radioresistance in cancer cells.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to overexpress EGFR (eMSC-EGFR).
• To evaluate the radioresistance and recovery capacity of eMSC-EGFR following X-ray exposure.
• To establish a model for enhancing radiation tolerance for space exploration.

Main Methods:

• Engineered bone marrow-derived MSCs to overexpress EGFR using transfection.
• Confirmed EGFR overexpression via quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunoblotting.
• Exposed eMSC-EGFR to varying X-ray doses (1-20 Gy) and assessed cell morphology, proliferation, viability, tumorigenic potential, and DNA damage.

Main Results:

• EGFR overexpression was successfully confirmed in engineered MSCs.
• eMSC-EGFR exhibited radioresistance, with improved proliferation post-irradiation compared to naïve MSCs (1-8 Gy).
• Significantly reduced DNA damage was observed in eMSC-EGFR 24 hours after 4 Gy X-ray exposure.

Conclusions:

• Efficient generation of EGFR-overexpressing MSCs was achieved.
• EGFR overexpression enhances MSC radioresistance and DNA repair capacity.
• This engineered MSC model shows promise for mitigating radiation injury in astronauts.