促进间充质干细胞归巢的研究进展及其相关机制

间充质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cells,MSCs)被认为是一种有前景的再生医学干细胞资源,其强大的组织分化能力和免疫调节能力在修复的过程中起着关键作用。其中,MSCs要发挥治疗效果大部分依赖于对损伤部位的特定归巢,而其对靶位点的低归巢率严重影响着疗效。因此,如何促进MSCs的归巢率成为了提升其疗效的研究重点。本文就MSCs的归巢过程、促进MSCs向靶组织归巢及其机制、MSCs归巢与肿瘤进行了综述。     

间充质干细胞来源的外泌体在炎症性肠病治疗中的作用机制及应用前景

炎症性肠病(IBD)是一种原因不明的非特异性肠道疾病,其发病率逐年提高,目前治疗药物疗效有限。间充质干细胞(MSCs)具有免疫调节、抗炎等功能,有望成为IBD的新兴治疗手段。然而MSCs因归巢能力有限,目前认为其可能通过旁分泌发挥治疗作用。MSCs分泌的外泌体(MSCs-Exo)具有MSCs的大部分功能,无恶性分化且在体内稳定存在,在干细胞治疗领域具有重要研究价值,但其在IBD中的作用机制尚不明确。本文将就MSCs-Exo对IBD的作用机制以及在IBD中的应用前景进行综述。     

间充质干细胞影响肿瘤细胞增殖及其分子机理

间充质干细胞MSCs(mesenchymal stem cells)与肿瘤细胞间的相互作用是近年来肿瘤领域的研究热点之一.MSCs是一种多能干细胞,具有分化为成骨细胞、软骨细胞、脂肪细胞、纤维母细胞或肌肉细胞等多种间充质细胞的能力.MSCs在肿瘤细胞中表现出的归巢和转移能力为其成为潜在的抗肿瘤工具奠定了基础,MSCs转移到肿瘤细胞后参与重塑肿瘤微环境,并对其增殖、侵袭和转移等生物学行为产生重要影响.MSCs重塑肿瘤微环境后对肿瘤细胞的增殖究竟是促进还是抑制,相关文献报道有很大的争议.基于相关研究近况,主要综述骨髓间充质干细胞BMSCs(bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells)参与重塑肿瘤微环境对肿瘤细胞增殖的影响,并就已知的分子机理做一简要介绍.     

间充质干细胞的特性与分化诱导研究进展

间充质干细胞(MSCs)是成体干细胞的一种, 广泛存在于人体的间充质组织中, 具有自我复制能力和多项分化潜能. 单独或联合使用某些细胞因子、生长因子、激素、维生素、抗氧化剂和抗肿瘤药物等, 可诱导MSCs在体外培养条件下向某一谱系细胞分化. 鉴于MSCs的上述特点, 使其有着非常诱人的临床应用前景, 可以用于许多种疾病的治疗. 本文从MSCs的生物学特性、MSCs的分化诱导、分化调节机制及应用前景等方面进行了评述.     

人胚胎干细胞源性间充质干细胞的研究进展

人胚胎干细胞源性间充质干细胞(human embryonic stem cell derived mesenchymal stem cells,h ESC-MSCs)是由胚胎干细胞诱导分化而来的间充质干细胞,具有成体间充质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cells,MSCs)相似的生物学特性和功能,由于其来源丰富、均一性好,受到广泛关注,是MSCs的一种新的获取途径。其应用避免了胚胎干细胞直接应用而面临的致瘤性问题,是胚胎干细胞应用于疾病治疗的一种新的形式,具有广阔的应用前景。然而,h ESC-MSCs真正运用于临床治疗仍面临较多的问题需要解决。该文就h ESC-MSCs的诱导分化、生物学特性、应用前景及目前尚存在的问题作一综述。     

间充质干细胞条件培养基在动脉粥样硬化治疗中的研究进展

近年来,间充质干细胞(MSCs)由于其多向分化潜能和组织修复功能被广泛应用于细胞移植中,但由于安全性、有效性等问题大多仍然滞留于临床前研究。研究发现,MSCs可以通过分泌活性因子影响动脉粥样硬化的进程,利用含有自体细胞因子的间充质干细胞条件培养基(MSC-CM)同样可以发挥治疗动脉粥样硬化的作用。本文探讨了应用MSC-CM作为干细胞移植替代疗法的可行之处,为优化干细胞治疗提供了新方向。     

骨髓间充质干细胞成肌和成脂分化的调控

骨髓间充质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cells,MSCs)是来源于骨髓基质的一类具有高度自我更新能力和多向分化潜能的成体干细胞.因其具有容易获取、体外扩增方便迅速、移植排斥反应较弱等优点而成为临床应用的理想细胞模型.骨髓间充质干细胞向成肌和成脂的分化对动物机体内肌肉和脂肪的组成具有直接影响,因而与肉品质及人类健康息息相关.本文综述了骨髓间充质干细胞定向分化为骨骼肌细胞和脂肪细胞的过程及其调控机制,并重点分析了关键调控因子PRDM16(PR domain-containing16)和骨形态发生蛋白(bone morphogenetic proteins,BMPs)在骨髓间充质干细胞成肌和成脂分化中的作用.     

脐静脉和骨髓来源的间充质干细胞的比较研究

间充质干细胞(MSCs)的来源有限,成人骨髓是MSCs的主要来源,这极大地限制了其在实验和临床中的应用。为拓宽MSCs来源,从细胞形态、生长特性、免疫表型和多向分化能力等四个方面对人脐静脉来源和成人骨髓来源的间充质干细胞进行了比较研究。结果表明,人脐静脉来源和成人骨髓来源的 MSCs具有相似的生物学特征,成纤维细胞样形态生长,并具有强大的体外扩增和多向分化能力。人脐静脉来源的MSCs可替代成人骨髓MSCs,作为满足实验和临床需要的重要来源。     

间充质干细胞在结核病治疗中的研究进展

间充质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cells, MSCs)是一种多能干细胞,具有自我更新、多向分化、免疫调节和抗炎的能力,在组织修复和再生中发挥着重要作用。已有临床前和临床研究证明,MSCs在治疗结核病(tuberculosis, TB)方面具有潜在的应用价值。因此,了解MSCs的生物学和免疫学特性,对规范和优化基于MSCs的再生治疗具有重要意义。现重点介绍MSCs在TB中的作用机制以及基于MSCs在TB临床试验的最新进展。     

离子通道对间充质干细胞增殖、骨向分化的作用

间充质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cells,MSCs)是一类具有向中胚层多向分化的干细胞,其细胞表面的离子通道表达多样,功能复杂。近年来,离子通道对间充质干细胞的功能调节备受关注。越来越多研究发现离子通道参与各种信号传递,调控细胞功能,如增殖、分化等基因的表达等。本文主要从离子通道表达的角度介绍离子通道在间充质干细胞的增殖、骨向分化中的作用。     

Biological,chemical and mechanical factors regulating migration and homing of mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a population of primary and non-specialized cells, which can be isolated from various tissues. Currently, MSCs are key players in cellular therapy and regenerative medicine. However, the possibility of using MSCs in the treatment of many diseases needs to be preceded, though, by in-depth analysis of their properties, especially by determining the mechanism of tissue homing as well as the mechanism, due to which cells contribute to tissue regeneration. This review is intended to present information on recent findings regarding the mechanism of recruitment and tissue homing by MSCs and discuss current hypotheses for how MSCs can reach target tissues.     

Early homing behavior of Stro-1 mesenchyme-like cells derived from human embryonic stem cells in an immunocompetent xenogeneic animal model

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been induced to differentiate successfully from human embryonic stem cells (hES-MSCs), which could serve as an in vitro source of MSCs. However, the homing behaviors of such cells and their potential utility for liver regeneration in vivo have not been reported. We investigated factors that influenced early homing and the hepatic-directed differentiation potency of hES-MSCs in a mouse model of acute liver injury. The hES-MSCs could be detected 36 h after cell infusion and this was unaffected by the number of cell passages in culture. Pretreatment of hES-MSCs with TNF-α resulted in higher rates of homing of these cells to the injured liver. Interestingly most of the cells homing at an early stage expressed alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), indicating hepatic differentiation. Thus, hES-MSCs can home to the acutely injured liver at high efficiency and undergo hepatic differentiation, suggesting that these cells could be useful for treating acute human liver injury.     

Mesenchymal stem cells: Molecular characteristics and clinical applications

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are non-hematopoietic stem cells with the capacity to differentiate into tissues of both mesenchymal and non-mesenchymal origin. MSCs can differentiate into osteoblastic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic lineages, although recent studies have demonstrated that MSCs are also able to differentiate into other lineages, including neuronal and cardiomyogenic lineages. Since their original isolation from the bone marrow, MSCs have been successfully harvested from many other tissues. Their ease of isolation and ex vivo expansion combined with their immunoprivileged nature has made these cells popular candidates for stem cell therapies. These cells have the potential to alter disease pathophysiology through many modalities including cytokine secretion, capacity to differentiate along various lineages, immune modulation and direct cell-cell interaction with diseased tissue. Here we first review basic features of MSC biology including MSC characteristics in culture, homing mechanisms, differentiation capabilities and immune modulation. We then highlight some in vivo and clinical evidence supporting the therapeutic roles of MSCs and their uses in orthopedic, autoimmune, and ischemic disorders.     

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy and acute graft-versus-host disease: a review

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being widely studied as potential cell therapy agents due to their immunomodulatory properties, which have been established by in vitro studies and in several clinical trials. Within this context, mesenchymal stem cell therapy appears to hold substantial promise, particularly in the treatment of conditions involving autoimmune and inflammatory components. Nevertheless, many research findings are still contradictory, mostly due to difficulties in characterization of the effects of MSCs in vivo. The purpose of this review is to report the mechanisms underlying mesenchymal stem cell therapy for acute graft-versus-host disease, particularly with respect to immunomodulation, migration, and homing, as well as report clinical applications described in the literature.     

Prodigious therapeutic effects of combining mesenchymal stem cells with magnetic nanoparticles

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gained wide-ranging reputation in the medical research community due to their promising regenerative abilities. MSCs can be isolated from various resources mostly bone marrow, Adipose tissues and Umbilical cord. Huge advances have been achieved in comprehending the possible mechanisms underlying the therapeutic functions of MSCs. Despite the proven role of MSCs in repairing and healing of many disease modalities, many hurdles hinder the transferring of these cells in the clinical settings. Among the most reported problems encountering MSCs therapy in vivo are loss of tracking signal post-transplantation, insufficient migration, homing and engraftment post-infusion, and undesirable differentiation at the site of injury. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been used widely for various biomedical applications. MNPs have a metallic core stabilized by an outer coating material and their magnetic properties can be modulated by an external magnetic field. These magnetic properties of MNPs were found to enhance the quality of diagnostic imaging procedures and can be used to create a carrying system for targeted delivery of therapeutic substances mainly drug, genes and stem cells. Several studies highlighted the advantageous outcomes of combining MSCs with MNPs in potentiating their tracking, monitoring, homing, engraftment and differentiation. In this review, we will discuss the role of MNPs in promoting the therapeutic profile of MSCs which may improve the success rate of MSCs transplantation and solve many challenges that delay their clinical applicability.     

Mesenchymal stem cells: an emerging tool for cancer targeting and therapy

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from post-natal bone marrow possess tremendous potential for cell-mediated gene therapy in several disease processes, and recent reports have broadened the spectrum for therapeutic applications to cancer therapy. The evidence that sites of active tumorigenesis favor the homing of exogenous MSCs have support the rationale for developing engineered MSCs as a tool to track malignant tissues and deliver anticancer agents within the tumor microenvironment. Several reports have proven the efficiency of MSCs as cell carrier for in vivo delivery of various clinically relevant anticancer factors, including cytokines, interferon, pro-drugs or replicative adenovirus, and tumor growth inhibition following engraftment within or in the vicinity of tumor. The enthusiasm for MSCs is further reinforced by the striking observation that unmodified MSCs can exert antitumorigenic activity, and preliminary reports in immunocompetent animals have provided encouraging results for the use of MSCs in cancer immunotherapy. This review highlights recent works and potential clinical applications of MSCs in this field.     

Pre‐treatments enhance the therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells in liver diseases

Liver diseases caused by viral infection, alcohol abuse and metabolic disorders can progress to end‐stage liver failure, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, which are a growing cause of death worldwide. Although liver transplantation and hepatocyte transplantation are useful strategies to promote liver regeneration, they are limited by scarce sources of organs and hepatocytes. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) restore liver injury after hepatogenic differentiation and exert immunomodulatory, anti‐inflammatory, antifibrotic, antioxidative stress and antiapoptotic effects on liver cells in vivo. After isolation and culture in vitro, MSCs are faced with nutrient and oxygen deprivation, and external growth factors maintain MSC capacities for further applications. In addition, MSCs are placed in a harsh microenvironment, and anoikis and inflammation after transplantation in vivo significantly decrease their regenerative capacity. Pre‐treatment with chemical agents, hypoxia, an inflammatory microenvironment and gene modification can protect MSCs against injury, and pre‐treated MSCs show improved hepatogenic differentiation, homing capacity, survival and paracrine effects in vitro and in vivo in regard to attenuating liver injury. In this review, we mainly focus on pre‐treatments and the underlying mechanisms for improving the therapeutic effects of MSCs in various liver diseases. Thus, we provide evidence for the development of MSC‐based cell therapy to prevent acute or chronic liver injury. Mesenchymal stem cells have potential as a therapeutic to prolong the survival of patients with end‐stage liver diseases in the near future.     

Homing and migration of mesenchymal stromal cells: How to improve the efficacy of cell therapy?

Mesenchymal stromal cells(MSCs) are currently being investigated for use in a wide variety of clinical applications. For most of these applications, systemic delivery of the cells is preferred. However, this requires the homing and migration of MSCs to a target tissue. Although MSC hominghas been described, this process does not appear to be highly efficacious because only a few cells reach the target tissue and remain there after systemic administration. This has been ascribed to low expression levels of homing molecules, the loss of expression of such molecules during expansion, and the heterogeneity of MSCs in cultures and MSC culture protocols. To overcome these limitations, different methods to improve the homing capacity of MSCs have been examined. Here, we review the current understanding of MSC homing, with a particular focus on homing to bone marrow. In addition, we summarize the strategies that have been developed to improve this process. A better understanding of MSC biology, MSC migration and homing mechanisms will allow us to prepare MSCs with optimal homing capacities. The efficacy of therapeutic applications is dependent on efficient delivery of the cells and can, therefore, only benefit from better insights into the homing mechanisms.     

In Vivo Tracking and Comparison of the Therapeutic Effects of MSCs and HSCs for Liver Injury

Background

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been studied for damaged liver repair; however, the conclusions drawn regarding their homing capacity to the injured liver are conflicting. Besides, the relative utility and synergistic effects of these two cell types on the injured liver remain unclear.

Methodology/Principal Findings

MSCs, HSCs and the combination of both cells were obtained from the bone marrow of male mice expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein(EGFP)and injected into the female mice with or without liver fibrosis. The distribution of the stem cells, survival rates, liver function, hepatocyte regeneration, growth factors and cytokines of the recipient mice were analyzed. We found that the liver content of the EGFP-donor cells was significantly higher in the MSCs group than in the HSCs or MSCs+HSCs group. The survival rate for the MSCs group was significantly higher than that of the HSCs or MSCs+HSCs group; all surpassed the control group. After MSC-transplantation, the injured livers were maximally restored, with less collagen than the controls. The fibrotic areas had decreased to a lesser extent in the mice transplanted with HSCs or MSCs+HSCs. Compared with mice in the HSCs group, the mice that received MSCs had better improved liver function. MSCs exhibited more remarkable paracrine effects and immunomodulatory properties on hepatic stellate cells and native hepatocytes in the treatment of the liver pathology. Synergistic actions of MSCs and HSCs were most likely not observed because the stem cells in liver were detected mostly as single cells, and single MSCs are insufficient to provide a beneficial niche for HSCs.

Conclusions/Significance

MSCs exhibited a greater homing capability for the injured liver and modulated fibrosis and inflammation more effectively than did HSCs. Synergistic effects of MSCs and HSCs were not observed in liver injury.     

Atorvastatin: an efficient step forward in mesenchymal stem cell therapy of diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a leading cause of vision loss and a significant source of morbidity, is the most common ocular complication of prolonged diabetes mellitus. Most therapeutic approaches address DR by preventing or destroying neovasculature; however, this fails to eliminate pathogenic causes. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising candidate for cell therapy because they have unique regenerative potential and provide an option to manage retinal injuries. Transplantation of MSCs in rats with diabetes induced by streptozocin administration was shown to ameliorate DR. However, the poor viability and homing of MSCs after transplantation may reduce the efficacy of cell therapy. Intravitreal transplantation of MSCs was shown to augment vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). More recent studies have found a central role for VEGF in vascular lesion formation in DR and proposed blockage of VEGF as an effective approach to manage DR. Atorvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, has been proven to decrease VEGF production of MSCs under hypoxic conditions. It has also been demonstrated that atorvastatin increases the viability of MSCs through the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase-endothelial nitric oxide synthase signaling pathway. There is also evidence that nitric oxide improves homing of MSCs by increasing chemokine-related receptor CXCR4 expression. It could be hypothesized that co-administration of MSCs with atorvastatin may be a significant step forward in development of an efficient MSC therapy of DR through preventing excess VEGF production by MSCs under hypoxic conditions as well as increasing the viability and homing of transplanted MSCs.