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Updated: Oct 14, 2025

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Functional characterization of the immunomodulatory properties of human urine-derived stem cells

Rongpei Wu1,2, Melisa Soland1, Guihua Liu1,3

  • 1Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, USA.

Translational Andrology and Urology
|November 4, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Human urine-derived stem cells (USCs) show significant immunomodulatory properties, secreting cytokines that suppress immune cell proliferation. These findings suggest USCs are a promising candidate for cell-based therapies due to their comparable immune-regulating capabilities to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Area of Science:

  • Stem Cell Biology
  • Immunology
  • Regenerative Medicine

Background:

  • Urine-derived stem cells (USCs) are a novel source for regenerative medicine.
  • Their immunomodulatory characteristics require further investigation for therapeutic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the immunomodulatory properties of human USCs.
  • To evaluate their potential in cell-based therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and expansion of human USCs from urine samples.
  • Flow cytometry for cell surface marker analysis.
  • Mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and NK cytotoxicity assays to assess immunomodulatory potential.
  • Cytokine profiling using human cytokine proteome array.

Main Results:

  • USCs exhibited a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) phenotype.
  • USCs significantly inhibited peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMNC) proliferation in MLR.
  • Natural killer (NK) cells showed reduced cytotoxicity against USCs compared to other cell types.
  • USCs secreted higher levels of immunomodulatory cytokines upon stimulation.

Conclusions:

  • USCs possess significant immunomodulatory properties.
  • They secrete immunoregulatory cytokines, comparable to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).
  • USCs represent a promising cell source for immunotherapy.
Abstract

Keywords:
Urine-derived stem cells (USCs)cytokinesimmunomodulationmixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR)

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