Project description:Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (Ad-MSCs) are a promising tool for articular cartilage repair and regeneration. However, the terminal hypertrophic differentiation of Ad-MSC-derived cartilage is a critical barrier during hyaline cartilage regeneration. In this study, we investigated the role of matrilin-3 in preventing Ad-MSC-derived chondrocyte hypertrophy in vitro and in an osteoarthritis (OA) destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) model. Methacrylated hyaluron (MAHA) (1%) was used to encapsulate and make scaffolds containing Ad-MSCs and matrilin-3. Subsequently, the encapsulated cells in the scaffolds were differentiated in chondrogenic medium (TGF-?, 1-14 days) and thyroid hormone hypertrophic medium (T3, 15-28 days). The presence of matrilin-3 with Ad-MSCs in the MAHA scaffold significantly increased the chondrogenic marker and decreased the hypertrophy marker mRNA and protein expression. Furthermore, matrilin-3 significantly modified the expression of TGF-?2, BMP-2, and BMP-4. Next, we prepared the OA model and transplanted Ad-MSCs primed with matrilin-3, either as a single-cell suspension or in spheroid form. Safranin-O staining and the OA score suggested that the regenerated cartilage morphology in the matrilin-3-primed Ad-MSC spheroids was similar to the positive control. Furthermore, matrilin-3-primed Ad-MSC spheroids prevented subchondral bone sclerosis in the mouse model. Here, we show that matrilin-3 plays a major role in modulating Ad-MSCs' therapeutic effect on cartilage regeneration and hypertrophy suppression.
Project description:Adipose-derived stromal cells are a potential cell source for the successful healing of skeletal defects. In this study, the authors sought to investigate the potential for cranial suture-derived mesenchymal cells to promote the osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stromal cells. Various reports have previously examined the unique in vitro attributes of suture-derived mesenchymal cells; this study sought to extend those findings.Suture-derived mesenchymal cells were isolated from wild-type mice (n = 30) from both fusing posterofrontal and patent sagittal sutures. Cells were placed in Transwell inserts with human adipose-derived stromal cells (n = 5 patients) with osteogenic differentiation medium with or without recombinant Noggin (10 to 400 ng/ml). Specific gene expression of osteogenic markers and Hedgehog pathway were assayed; standard osteogenic assays (alkaline phosphatase and alizarin red staining) were performed. All assays were performed in triplicate.Both posterofrontal and sagittal suture-derived mesenchymal cells induced osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stromal cells (p < 0.05). Posterofrontal suture-derived mesenchymal cells induced adipose-derived stromal cell osteogenesis to a greater degree than sagittal suture-derived mesenchymal cells (p < 0.05). This was accompanied by an increase in bone morphogenetic protein expression (p < 0.05). Finally, recombinant Noggin mitigated the pro-osteogenic effects of co-culture accompanied by a reduction in Hedgehog signaling (p < 0.05).Suture-derived mesenchymal cells secrete paracrine factors that induce osteogenic differentiation of multipotent stromal cells (human adipose-derived stromal cells). Cells derived from the fusing posterofrontal suture do this to a significantly greater degree than cells from the patent sagittal suture. Enhanced bone morphogenetic protein and Hedgehog signaling may underlie this paracrine effect.
Project description:During the last ten years, many research results have been referring to a particular type of cancer-associated fibroblasts associated with poor prognosis, invasiveness, metastasis and resistance to therapy in multiple cancer types, characterized by a gene expression signature with prominent presence of genes COL11A1, THBS2 and INHBA. Identifying the underlying biological mechanisms responsible for their creation may facilitate the discovery of targets for potential pan-cancer therapeutics. Using a novel computational approach for single-cell gene expression data analysis identifying the dominant cell populations in a sequence of samples from patients at various stages, we conclude that these fibroblasts are produced by a pan-cancer cellular transition originating from a particular type of adipose-derived stromal cells naturally present in the stromal vascular fraction of normal adipose tissue, having a characteristic gene expression signature. Focusing on a rich pancreatic cancer dataset, we provide a detailed description of the continuous modification of the gene expression profiles of cells as they transition from APOD-expressing adipose-derived stromal cells to COL11A1-expressing cancer-associated fibroblasts, identifying the key genes that participate in this transition. These results also provide an explanation to the well-known fact that the adipose microenvironment contributes to cancer progression.
Project description:The adult stem cell secretome is currently under investigation as an alternative to cell-based therapy in regenerative medicine, thanks to the remarkable translational opportunity and the advantages in terms of handling and safety. In this perspective, we recently demonstrated the efficient performance of the adipose-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (ASC) secretome in contrasting neuroinflammation in a murine model of diabetic neuropathy, where the administration of factors released by dermal fibroblasts (DFs) did not exert any effect. Up to now, the complex mixture of the constituents of the conditioned medium from ASCs has not been fully deepened, although its appropriate characterization is required in the perspective of a clinical use. Herein, we propose the differential proteomic approach for the identification of the players accounting for the functional effects of the cell secretome with the aim to unravel its appropriate applications. Out of 967 quantified proteins, 34 and 62 factors were found preponderantly or exclusively secreted by ASCs and DFs, respectively. This approach led to the recognition of distinct functions related to the conditioned medium of ASCs and DFs, with the former being involved in the regulation of neuronal death and apoptosis and the latter in bone metabolism and ossification. The proosteogenic effect of DF secretome was validated in vitro on human primary osteoblasts, providing a proof of concept of its osteoinductive potential. Besides discovering new applications of the cell type-specific secretome, the proposed strategy could allow the recognition of the cocktail of bioactive factors which might be responsible for the effects of conditioned media, thus providing a solid rationale to the implementation of a cell-free approach in several clinical scenarios involving tissue regeneration.
Project description:Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) show considerable promise for clinical applications in regenerative medicine. We performed a large-scale single-cell transcriptomic sequencing of 24,358 cultured human ADSCs from three donors. We provide a high-quality dataset, which would be a valuable resource for dissecting the intrapopulation heterogeneity of cultured ADSCs as well as interrogating lineage priming patterns for any interested lineages at single-cell resolution.
Project description:Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have evidenced considerable therapeutic potential in numerous clinical fields, especially in tissue regeneration. The immunological characteristics of this cell population include the expression of Toll-like receptors and mannose receptors, among others. The study objective was to determine whether MSCs have phagocytic capacity against different target particles. We isolated and characterized three human adipose tissue MSC (HAT-MSC) lines from three patients and analysed their phagocytic capacity by flow cytometry, using fluorescent latex beads, and by transmission electron microscopy, using Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans as biological materials and latex beads as non-biological material. The results demonstrate that HAT-MSCs can phagocyte particles of different nature and size. The percentage of phagocytic cells ranged between 33.8% and 56.2% (mean of 44.37% ± 11.253) according to the cell line, and a high phagocytic index was observed. The high phagocytic capacity observed in MSCs, which have known regenerative potential, may offer an advance in the approach to certain local and systemic infections.
Project description:The potential for human adipose-derived stromal cells (hASCs) to be used as a therapeutic product is being assessed in multiple clinical trials. However, much is still to be learned about these cells before they can be used with confidence in the clinical setting. An inherent characteristic of hASCs that is not well understood is their heterogeneity. The aim of this exploratory study was to characterize the heterogeneity of freshly isolated hASCs after two population doublings (P2) using single-cell transcriptome analysis. A minimum of two subpopulations were identified at P2. A major subpopulation was identified as contractile cells which, based on gene expression patterns, are likely to be pericytes and/or vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs).
Project description:This study was aimed at deciphering the secretome of adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSCs) cultured in standard and hypoxic conditions to reveal proteins, which may be responsible for regenerative action of these cells.Human ADSCs were isolated from 10 healthy donors and cultured for 3-4 passages. Cells were serum deprived and cell purity was assessed using multiple cell surface markers. Conditioned media was collected and analyzed using LC-MS with a focus on characterizing secreted proteins.Purity of the ADSC assessed as CD90+/CD73+/CD105+/CD45-/CD31- cells was greater than 99 % and viability was greater than 97 %. More than 600 secreted proteins were detected in conditioned media of ADSCs. Of these 100 proteins were common to all cultures and included key molecules involved in tissue regeneration such as collagens and collagen maturation enzymes, matrix metalloproteases, matricellular proteins, macrophage-colony stimulating factor and pigment epithelium derived factor. Common set of proteins also included molecules, which contribute to regenerative processes but were not previously associated with ADSCs. These included olfactomedin-like 3, follistatin-like 1 and prosaposin. In addition, ADSCs from the different subjects secreted proteins, which were variable between different cultures. These included proteins with neurotrophic activities, which were not previously associated with ADSCs, such as mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor, meteorin and neuron derived neurotrophic factor. Hypoxia resulted in secretion of 6 proteins, the most prominent included EGF-like repeats and discoidin I-like domains 3, adrenomedullin and ribonuclease 4 of RNase A family. It also caused the disappearance of 8 proteins, including regulator of osteogenic differentiation cartilage-associated protein.Human ADSCs with CD90+/CD73+/CD105+/CD45-/CD31-/PDGFR?+/NG2+/CD146+(-) immunophenotype secrete a large array of proteins, the most represented group is comprised of extracellular matrix components. Number of secreted proteins is largely unaffected by prolonged hypoxia. Variability in the secretion of several proteins from cultured ADSCs of individual subjects suggests that these cells exist as a heterogeneous population containing functionally distinct subtypes, which differ in numbers between donors.