Mesenchymal stromal cells isolated from gestationally diabetic human placenta exhibit insulin resistance, decreased clonogenicity and angiogenesis

Implications of maternal-fetal health on perinatal stem cell banking

Cell based therapies are being assessed for their therapeutic potential across a variety of diseases. Gestational tissues are attractive sources for cell therapy. The large number of births worldwide ensures sufficient access to gestational tissues, however, limited information has been reported around the impact of birth trends, delivery methods and pregnancy conditions on perinatal stem cell banking. This review describes the current state of banking of gestational tissues and their derived perinatal stem cells, discusses why the changes in birth trends and delivery methods could affect gestational tissue banking practices, and further explores how common pregnancy complications can potentially influence perinatal stem cell banking.

Cell culture-derived extracellular vesicles: Considerations for reporting cell culturing parameters

Cell culture-conditioned medium (CCM) is a valuable source of extracellular vesicles (EVs) for basic scientific, therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Cell culturing parameters affect the biochemical composition, release and possibly the function of CCM-derived EVs (CCM-EV). The CCM-EV task force of the Rigor and Standardization Subcommittee of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles aims to identify relevant cell culturing parameters, describe their effects based on current knowledge, recommend reporting parameters and identify outstanding questions. While some recommendations are valid for all cell types, cell-specific recommendations may need to be established for non-mammalian sources, such as bacteria, yeast and plant cells. Current progress towards these goals is summarized in this perspective paper, along with a checklist to facilitate transparent reporting of cell culturing parameters to improve the reproducibility of CCM-EV research.

Mesenchymal stromal cells as a tool to unravel the developmental origins of disease

The intrauterine environment can induce alterations of the epigenome that have a lasting impact on disease risk. Current human studies in the field focus on a single epigenetic mark, DNA methylation, measured in blood. For in-depth mechanistic insight into the developmental origins of disease, it will be crucial to consider innovative tissue types. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) may serve as a novel tool to investigate the full epigenome beyond DNA methylation, to explore other omics levels, and to perform functional assays. Moreover, MSCs can be differentiated into multiple cell types and thereby mimic otherwise inaccessible cell types. A first wave of studies supports the potential of MSCs and illustrates how the innovative use of this cell type may be incorporated in birth cohorts.

The angiogenic properties of human amniotic membrane stem cells are enhanced in gestational diabetes and associate with fetal adiposity

Background

An environment of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can modify the phenotype of stem cell populations differentially according to their placental localization, which can be useful to study the consequences for the fetus. We sought to explore the effect of intrauterine GDM exposure on the angiogenic properties of human amniotic membrane stem cells (hAMSCs).

Methods

We comprehensively characterized the angiogenic phenotype of hAMSCs isolated from 14 patients with GDM and 14 controls with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Maternal and fetal parameters were also recorded. Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia and palmitic acid were used to in vitro mimic a GDM-like pathology. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of protein function was used to investigate the molecular pathways underlying the angiogenic properties of hAMSCs isolated from women with GDM.

Results

Capillary tube formation assays revealed that GDM-hAMSCs produced a significantly higher number of nodes (P = 0.004), junctions (P = 0.002) and meshes (P < 0.001) than equivalent NGT-hAMSCs, concomitant with an increase in the gene/protein expression of FGFR2, TGFBR1, SERPINE1 and VEGFA. These latter changes were recapitulated in NGT-hAMSCs exposed to GDM-like conditions. Inhibition of the protein product of SERPINE1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, PAI-1) suppressed the angiogenic properties of GDM-hAMSCs. Correlation analyses revealed that cord blood insulin levels in offspring strongly correlated with the number of nodes (r = 0.860; P = 0.001), junctions (r = 0.853; P = 0.002) and meshes (r = 0.816; P = 0.004) in tube formation assays. Finally, FGFR2 levels correlated positively with placental weight (r = 0.586; P = 0.028) and neonatal adiposity (r = 0.496; P = 0.014).

Conclusions

GDM exposure contributes to the angiogenic abilities of hAMSCs, which are further related to increased cord blood insulin and fetal adiposity. PAI-1 emerges as a potential key player of GDM-induced angiogenesis.

Metformin pre-conditioning enhances the angiogenic ability of the secretome of dental pulp stem cells

The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of metformin on the angiogenic ability of secretomes from dental pulp stem cells. The stem cells were obtained from the dental pulp (DPSCs) (n = 3) using the explant culture method. We treated the DPSCs with different concentrations of metformin and assessed the expression of the angiogenesis-related genes. We also tested the angiogenic effect of the secretomes on the yolk sac membrane of the chick embryos by counting the quaternary blood vessel formations on the yolk sac membrane. We found that metformin treatment enhanced the angiogenic potential of the stem cell secretome in a dose-dependent manner. This was evidenced by the increase in the quaternary blood vessel formations in the yolk sac membrane with lower to higher concentrations of metformin. Pre-treatment with metformin modulates the angiogenic potential of the stem cell-conditioned media in a dose-dependent manner. The augmentation of the angiogenic potential of the DPSCs can aid regeneration, especially in scenarios requiring the regeneration of vacuoles.

Transcriptional profiling reveals altered biological characteristics of chorionic stem cells from women with gestational diabetes

Background

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is a common complication of pregnancy. The impact of pregnancy complications on placental function suggests that extraembryonic stem cells in the placenta may also be affected during pregnancy. Neonatal tissue-derived stem cells, with the advantages of their differentiation capacity and non-invasive isolation processes, have been proposed as a promising therapeutic avenue for GDM management through potential cell therapy approaches. However, the influence of GDM on autologous stem cells remains unclear. Thus, studies that provide comprehensive understanding of stem cells isolated from women with GDM are essential to guide future clinical applications.

Methods

Human chorionic membrane-derived stem cells (CMSCs) were isolated from placentas of healthy and GDM pregnancies. Transcriptional profiling was performed by DNA microarray, and differentially regulated genes between GDM- and Healthy-CMSCs were used to analyse molecular functions, differentiation, and pathway enrichment. Altered genes and biological functions were validated via real-time PCR and in vitro assays.

Results

GDM-CMSCs displayed, vs. Healthy-CMSCs, 162 upregulated genes associated with increased migration ability, epithelial development, and growth factor-associated signal transduction while the 269 downregulated genes were strongly linked to angiogenesis and cellular metabolic processes. Notably, significantly reduced expression of detoxification enzymes belonging to the aldehyde dehydrogenase gene families (ALDH1A1/1A2, ALDH2, ALDH3) accounted for downregulation across several metabolic pathways. ALDH activity and inhibitor assays indicated that reduced gene expression of ALDHs affected ALDH enzymatic functions and resulted in oxidative stress dysregulation in GDM-CMSCs.

Conclusion

Our combined transcriptional analysis and in vitro functional characterisation have provided novel insights into fundamental biological differences in GDM- and Healthy-CMSCs. Enhanced mobility of GDM-CMSCs may promote MSC migration toward injured sites; however, impaired cellular metabolic activity may negatively affect any perceived benefit.

Placental mesenchymal stromal cells as an alternative tool for therapeutic angiogenesis

Dysregulation of angiogenesis is a phenomenon observed in several disorders such as diabetic foot, critical limb ischemia and myocardial infarction. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) possess angiogenic potential and have recently emerged as a powerful tool for cell therapy to promote angiogenesis. Although bone marrow-derived MSCs are the primary cell of choice, obtaining them has become a challenge. The placenta has become a popular alternative as it is a highly vascular organ, easily available and ethically more favorable with a rich supply of MSCs. Comparatively, placenta-derived MSCs (PMSCs) are clinically promising due to their proliferative, migratory, clonogenic and immunomodulatory properties. PMSCs release a plethora of cytokines and chemokines key to angiogenic signaling and facilitate the possibility of delivering PMSC-derived exosomes as a targeted therapy to promote angiogenesis. However, there still remains the challenge of heterogeneity in the isolated populations, questions on the maternal or fetal origin of these cells and the diversity in previously reported isolation and culture conditions. Nonetheless, the growing rate of clinical trials using PMSCs clearly indicates a shift in favor of PMSCs. The overall aim of the review is to highlight the importance of this rather poorly understood cell type and emphasize the need for further investigations into their angiogenic potential as an alternative source for therapeutic angiogenesis.

Gestational diabetes impacts fetal precursor cell responses with potential consequences for offspring

Fetal programming has been proposed as a key mechanism underlying the association between intrauterine exposure to maternal diabetes and negative health outcomes in offspring. To determine whether gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) might leave an imprint in fetal precursors of the amniotic membrane and whether it might be related to adverse outcomes in offspring, a prospective case‐control study was conducted, in which amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) and resident macrophages were isolated from pregnant patients, with either GDM or normal glucose tolerance, scheduled for cesarean section. After characterization, functional characteristics of AMSCs were analyzed and correlated with anthropometrical and clinical variables from both mother and offspring. GDM‐derived AMSCs displayed an impaired proliferation and osteogenic potential when compared with control cells, accompanied by superior invasive and chemotactic capacity. The expression of genes involved in the inflammatory response (TNFα, MCP‐1, CD40, and CTSS) was upregulated in GDM‐derived AMSCs, whereas anti‐inflammatory IL‐33 was downregulated. Macrophages isolated from the amniotic membrane of GDM mothers consistently showed higher expression of MCP‐1 as well. In vitro studies in which AMSCs from healthy control women were exposed to hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and palmitic acid confirmed these results. Finally, genes involved in the inflammatory response were associated with maternal insulin sensitivity and prepregnancy body mass index, as well as with fetal metabolic parameters. These results suggest that the GDM environment could program stem cells and subsequently favor metabolic dysfunction later in life. Fetal adaptive programming in the setting of GDM might have a direct negative impact on insulin resistance of offspring.

Chorionic and amniotic placental membrane-derived stem cells, from gestational diabetic women, have distinct insulin secreting cell differentiation capacities

Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and their offspring, are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Chorionic (CMSCs) and amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) derived from placental membranes provide a source of autologous stem cells for potential diabetes therapy. We established an approach for the CMSC/AMSC-based generation of functional insulin-producing cells (IPCs). CMSCs/AMSCs displayed significantly elevated levels of NANOG and OCT4 versus bone marrow-derived MSCs, indicating a potentially broad differentiation capacity. Exposure of Healthy- and GDM-CMSCs/AMSCs to long-term high-glucose culture resulted in significant declines in viability accompanied by elevation, markedly so in GDM-CMSCs/AMSCs, of senescence/stress markers. Short-term high-glucose culture promoted pancreatic transcription factor expression when coupled to a 16-day step-wise differentiation protocol; activin A, retinoic acid, epidermal growth factor, glucagon-like peptide-1 and other chemical components, generated functional IPCs from both Healthy- and GDM-CMSCs. Healthy-/GDM-AMSCs displayed betacellulin-sensitive insulin expression, which was not secreted upon glucose challenge. The pathophysiological state accompanying GDM may cause irreversible impairment to endogenous AMSCs; however, GDM-CMSCs possess comparable therapeutic potential with Healthy-CMSCs and can be effectively reprogrammed into insulin-secreting cells.

Potential therapeutic roles of stem cells in ischemia-reperfusion injury

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/RI), produced by an initial interruption of organ blood flow and its subsequent restoration, contributes significantly to the pathophysiologies of stroke, myocardial infarction, renal I/RI, intestinal I/RI and liver I/RI, which are major causes of disability (including transplant failure) and even mortality. While the restoration of blood flow is required to restore oxygen and nutrient requirements, reperfusion often triggers local and systemic inflammatory responses and subsequently elevate the ischemic insult where the duration of ischemia determines the magnitude of I/RI damage. I/RI increases vascular leakage, changes transcriptional and cell death programs, drives leukocyte entrapment and inflammation and oxidative stress in tissues. Therapeutic approaches which reduce complications associated with I/RI are desperately needed to address the clinical and economic burden created by I/RI. Stem cells (SC) represent ubiquitous and uncommitted cell populations with the ability to self-renew and differentiate into one or more developmental 'fates'. Like immune cells, stem cells can home to and penetrate I/R-injured tissues, where they can differentiate into target tissues and induce trophic paracrine signaling which suppress injury and maintain tissue functions perturbed by ischemia-reperfusion. This review article summarizes the present use and possible protective mechanisms underlying stem cell protection in diverse forms of ischemia-reperfusion.

Multilineage potential research on pancreatic mesenchymal stem cells of bovine

Stem cells are most likely to solve all three of diabetes's problems at once, but the previous studies have mostly focused on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and adipose tissue-derived MSCs, and few studies have been done on pancreatic MSCs. In this study, pancreatic was collected to isolate MSCs from bovine, and then their biological characteristics such as growth kinetics, surface antigen, and multilineage potential were examined. Pancreatic MSCs of bovine (B-PMSCs) could be cultured for 65 passages in vitro. Growth kinetics analyses indicated that B-PMSCs had a strong capacity for self-renewal in vitro and their proliferation capacity appeared to decrease by passaging. Surface antigen detection showed that B-PMSCs expressed CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90, CD106, CD166, Vimentin, Nestin and Insulin, but not expressed CD34 and CD45. Furthermore, B-PMSCs could be induced to differentiate into adipocytes, osteoblasts and smooth muscle cells as indicated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence. Most importantly, insulin-secreting cell differentiation of B-PMSCs exhibited islet-like clusters and dithizone staining displayed scarlet, and the response of the islet-like clusters to glucose suggested that high concentration glucose (20 mM) could quickly and persistently stimulate insulin release, and from the 2.0 h of the stimulation, the insulin of 20 mM glucose group were significantly higher than the 5.5 mM group. The B-PMSCs were isolated successfully, and the cells owned powerful self-renewal ability and multiple differentiative potential. Therefore, the present study plays an important role by providing a PMSCs choice for cell therapy of diabetes and tissue engineering.