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Hu Z, Li D, Wu S, Pei K, Fu Z, Yang Y, Huang Y, Yang J, Liu C, Hu J, Cai C, Liao Y. Unveiling the functional heterogeneity of cytokine-primed human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells through single-cell RNA sequencing. Cell Biosci 2024; 14:40. [PMID: 38532459 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-024-01219-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold immense promise for use in immunomodulation and regenerative medicine. However, their inherent heterogeneity makes it difficult to achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes for a specific clinical disease. Primed MSCs containing a certain cytokine can enhance their particular functions, thereby increasing their therapeutic potential for related diseases. Therefore, understanding the characteristic changes and underlying mechanisms of MSCs primed by various cytokines is highly important. RESULTS In this study, we aimed to reveal the cellular heterogeneity, functional subpopulations, and molecular mechanisms of MSCs primed with IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6, IL-15, and IL-17 using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Our results demonstrated that cytokine priming minimized the heterogeneity of the MSC transcriptome, while the expression of MSC surface markers exhibited only slight changes. Notably, compared to IL-6, IL-15, and IL-17; IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-4 priming, which stimulated a significantly greater number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional analysis, which included Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses, indicated that IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-4-primed hUC-MSCs are involved in interferon-mediated immune-related processes, leukocyte migration, chemotaxis potential, and extracellular matrix and cell adhesion, respectively. Moreover, an investigation of various biological function scores demonstrated that IFN-γ-primed hUC-MSCs exhibit strong immunomodulatory ability, TNF-α-primed hUC-MSCs exhibit high chemotaxis potential, and IL-4-primed hUC-MSCs express elevated amounts of collagen. Finally, we observed that cytokine priming alters the distribution of functional subpopulations of MSCs, and these subpopulations exhibit various potential biological functions. Taken together, our study revealed the distinct regulatory effects of cytokine priming on MSC heterogeneity, biological function, and functional subpopulations at the single-cell level. CONCLUSIONS These findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the inflammatory priming of MSCs, paving the way for their precise treatment in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Hu
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Duanduan Li
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Shiduo Wu
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Ke Pei
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Zeqin Fu
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Yulin Yang
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Yinfu Huang
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Jian Yang
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Chuntao Liu
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Junyuan Hu
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Cheguo Cai
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China.
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
| | - Yan Liao
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China.
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518054, China.
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Deng C, Hu J, He L, Ge L, Wu N, Xie M, Yang X, Wu C, Liu Q. Daucosterol combined with umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes can alleviate liver damage in liver failure mice by regulating the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway. Cancer Biol Ther 2023; 24:2184150. [PMID: 36919480 PMCID: PMC10026879 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2023.2184150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Daucosterol is a phytosterol glycoside with hepatoprotective properties. The objective of the present study was to confirm the role of daucosterol in liver failure. Exosomes were isolated from primary mouse umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs). A liver failure mouse model was generated by injecting lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine. Mice were treated with exosomes alone or in combination with daucosterol (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg). Liver tissue damage was examined by hematoxylin-eosin, Masson's trichrome, and TUNEL staining. The levels of genes, proteins, and inflammatory factors were determined using real-time qPCR, western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Compared with normal mice, we noted severe damage, fibrosis, and apoptosis in the liver tissues of liver failure-induced mice. UCMSC-derived exosomes effectively alleviated hepatic damage in the mouse model. Compared with exosome treatment alone, exosomes combined with daucosterol significantly and dose-dependently reduced pathological changes in model mice. Exosome treatment alone or combined with daucosterol also markedly decreased the liver index and reduced levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 in model mice. Exosome treatment alone or combined with daucosterol suppressed mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3) and STAT3 protein expression in model mice. Our findings revealed that treatment with daucosterol combined with UCMSC-derived exosomes was superior to exosomes alone for alleviating hepatic damage in mice with liver failure by regulating the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway. Accordingly, daucosterol combined with UCMSC-derived exosomes may be a prospective treatment strategy for liver failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changqing Deng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, P.R. China
| | - Jia Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, P.R. China
| | - Ling He
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, P.R. China
| | - Laian Ge
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, P.R. China
| | - Na Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, P.R. China
| | - Mingjun Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, P.R. China
| | - Xiaojuan Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, P.R. China
| | - Chuncheng Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, P.R. China
| | - Qin Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, P.R. China
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Acuto S, Lo Iacono M, Baiamonte E, Lo Re R, Maggio A, Cavalieri V. An optimized procedure for preparation of conditioned medium from Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stromal cells isolated from umbilical cord. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1273814. [PMID: 37854039 PMCID: PMC10580810 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1273814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-free therapy based on conditioned medium derived from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) has gained attention in the field of protective and regenerative medicine. However, the exact composition and properties of MSC-derived conditioned media can vary greatly depending on multiple parameters, which hamper standardization. In this study, we have optimized a procedure for preparation of conditioned medium starting from efficient isolation, propagation and characterization of MSCs from human umbilical cord, using a culture medium supplemented with human platelet lysate as an alternative source to fetal bovine serum. Our procedure successfully maximizes the yield of viable MSCs that maintain canonical key features. Importantly, under these conditions, the compositional profile and biological effects elicited by the conditioned medium preparations derived from these MSC populations do not depend on donor individuality. Moreover, approximately 120 L of conditioned medium could be obtained from a single umbilical cord, which provides a suitable framework to produce industrial amounts of toxic-free conditioned medium with predictable composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santina Acuto
- Campus of Haematology Franco e Piera Cutino, Villa Sofia-Cervello Hospital, Palermo, Italy
| | - Melania Lo Iacono
- Campus of Haematology Franco e Piera Cutino, Villa Sofia-Cervello Hospital, Palermo, Italy
| | - Elena Baiamonte
- Campus of Haematology Franco e Piera Cutino, Villa Sofia-Cervello Hospital, Palermo, Italy
| | - Rosa Lo Re
- Campus of Haematology Franco e Piera Cutino, Villa Sofia-Cervello Hospital, Palermo, Italy
| | - Aurelio Maggio
- Campus of Haematology Franco e Piera Cutino, Villa Sofia-Cervello Hospital, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Cavalieri
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STeBiCeF), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Liao Y, Fu Z, Huang Y, Wu S, Wang Z, Ye S, Zeng W, Zeng G, Li D, Yang Y, Pei K, Yang J, Hu Z, Liang X, Hu J, Liu M, Jin J, Cai C. Interleukin-18-primed human umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells achieve superior therapeutic efficacy for severe viral pneumonia via enhancing T-cell immunosuppression. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:66. [PMID: 36707501 PMCID: PMC9883134 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05597-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatments are still urgently needed for critically and severely ill patients. Human umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) infusion has therapeutic benefits in COVID-19 patients; however, uncertain therapeutic efficacy has been reported in severe patients. In this study, we selected an appropriate cytokine, IL-18, based on the special cytokine expression profile in severe pneumonia of mice induced by H1N1virus to prime hUC-MSCs in vitro and improve the therapeutic effect of hUC-MSCs in vivo. In vitro, we demonstrated that IL-18-primed hUC-MSCs (IL18-hUCMSC) have higher proliferative ability than non-primed hUC-MSCs (hUCMSCcon). In addition, VCAM-1, MMP-1, TGF-β1, and some chemokines (CCL2 and CXCL12 cytokines) are more highly expressed in IL18-hUCMSCs. We found that IL18-hUCMSC significantly enhanced the immunosuppressive effect on CD3+ T-cells. In vivo, we demonstrated that IL18-hUCMSC infusion could reduce the body weight loss caused by a viral infection and significantly improve the survival rate. Of note, IL18-hUCMSC can also significantly attenuate certain clinical symptoms, including reduced activity, ruffled fur, hunched backs, and lung injuries. Pathologically, IL18-hUCMSC transplantation significantly enhanced the inhibition of inflammation, viral load, fibrosis, and cell apoptosis in acute lung injuries. Notably, IL18-hUCMSC treatment has a superior inhibitory effect on T-cell exudation and proinflammatory cytokine secretion in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Altogether, IL-18 is a promising cytokine that can prime hUC-MSCs to improve the efficacy of precision therapy against viral-induced pneumonia, such as COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liao
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Zeqin Fu
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Yinfu Huang
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Shiduo Wu
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Shaotang Ye
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Weijie Zeng
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Guifang Zeng
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Duanduan Li
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Yulin Yang
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Ke Pei
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Jian Yang
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Zhiwei Hu
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Xiao Liang
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Junyuan Hu
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China.
| | - Muyun Liu
- National-Local Associated Engineering Laboratory for Personalized Cell Therapy, Shenzhen, 518054, China.
| | - Juan Jin
- Department of Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, 310000, China.
| | - Cheguo Cai
- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518054, China.
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
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Batch Effects during Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cell Propagation Prevail Donor Variation and Culture Duration: Impact on Genotype, Phenotype and Function. Cells 2022; 11:cells11060946. [PMID: 35326396 PMCID: PMC8946746 DOI: 10.3390/cells11060946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Donor variation is a prominent critical issue limiting the applicability of cell-based therapies. We hypothesized that batch effects during propagation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in human platelet lysate (hPL), replacing fetal bovine serum (FBS), can affect phenotypic and functional variability. We therefore investigated the impact of donor variation, hPL- vs. FBS-driven propagation and exhaustive proliferation, on BMSC epigenome, transcriptome, phenotype, coagulation risk and osteochondral regenerative function. Notably, propagation in hPL significantly increased BMSC proliferation, created significantly different gene expression trajectories and distinct surface marker signatures, already after just one passage. We confirmed significantly declining proliferative potential in FBS-expanded BMSC after proliferative challenge. Flow cytometry verified the canonical fibroblastic phenotype in culture-expanded BMSCs. We observed limited effects on DNA methylation, preferentially in FBS-driven cultures, irrespective of culture duration. The clotting risk increased over culture time. Moreover, expansion in xenogenic serum resulted in significant loss of function during 3D cartilage disk formation and significantly increased clotting risk. Superior chondrogenic function under hPL-conditions was maintained over culture. The platelet blood group and isoagglutinins had minor impact on BMSC function. These data demonstrate pronounced batch effects on BMSC transcriptome, phenotype and function due to serum factors, partly outcompeting donor variation after just one culture passage.
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