Equine mesenchymal stromal cells dual-primed with TGF-β1 and IL-1β or TNF-α improve epithelial healing

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) secrete paracrine factors that contribute to their ability to promote tissue healing and regeneration. Priming equine MSCs with cytokines like TGF-β is known to enhance expression of growth factors and extracellular matrix molecules, which may increase their potential for treating certain injuries including epithelial wounds. We hypothesized that dual priming equine MSCs with TGF-β1 plus the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β or TNF-α would further increase expression of paracrine factors relevant to epithelial healing and their therapeutic potential.

Priming equine MSCs did not affect the morphology or viability of the cells. Equine MSCs dual-primed with TGF-β1 + IL-1β or TGF-β1 + TNF-α had increased expression of PGE2, AREG, and HBEGF. Conditioned media from both naïve and primed MSCs increased wound closure rates and dual-primed MSCs significantly increased the growth of colonoids in a co-culture model. Priming human induced MSCs did not stimulate the same changes in paracrine factor expression seen in equine MSCs.

Priming equine MSCs with TGF-β1 + IL-1β or TGF-β1 + TNF-α is a promising strategy for generating cells or conditioned media with the necessary growth factors and cytokines for promoting epithelial healing.