干细胞共培养技术在医学研究中的应用

细胞共培养技术是20世纪70年代后期发展起来的将不同种类、不同来源的细胞在同一个体系中进行培养、增殖的技术,该技术的诞生至今已经历了三十多年的时间,在共培养的细胞种类、共培养条件、共培养方法等方面均取得了很大的进展。其中,将骨髓间充质干细胞与其他种类细胞共培养,以诱导骨髓间充质干细胞定向分化的研究最为常见。该文对在神经、骨关节、心血管等系统疾病的替代治疗中有重要价值的共培养研究—骨髓间充质干细胞与不同种类的体细胞共培养作了重点介绍,以期为今后的工作提供借鉴和帮助。     

心肌样微环境诱导脂肪干细胞分化的研究

微环境在促进干细胞分化过程中起着重要的作用,研究心肌样微环境介导脂肪干细胞向心肌细胞分化有重要意义．将脂肪干细胞与心肌细胞直接或通过细胞培养小室间接共培养,检测脂肪干细胞的分化情况．对于直接共培养体系,采用绿色荧光蛋白CFSE对脂肪干细胞进行标记,然后与心肌细胞以1∶5混合后进行直接共培养,2周后,通过流式细胞仪分选分化的脂肪干细胞,并检测其分化情况．检测方法包括：扫描电镜和透射电镜观察细胞的超微结构;免疫细胞化学检测心肌特异性肌球蛋白重链(MHC)、肌钙蛋白(TnⅠ)和连接蛋白(Cx43);Western blot定量分析;RT-PCR检测心脏特异性转录因子mRNA的表达．结果表明,分化的脂肪干细胞呈现心肌样超微结构,并表达心肌特异性蛋白和转录因子,并且直接共培养体系中分化的脂肪干细胞其表达率明显高于间接共培养体系中的表达率．因此,在心肌样微环境中,除了可溶性细胞因子对分化起作用以外,心肌细胞产生的机械牵拉对脂肪干细胞向心肌细胞分化也起着重要的作用．     

脂肪来源干细胞通过Wnt/β-catenin通路调控前列腺增生上皮BPH-1细胞的增殖和凋亡

为了探讨脂肪来源干细胞对前列腺增生上皮BPH-1细胞增殖和凋亡的影响及分子机制,本研究从人体脂肪组织中分离脂肪来源干细胞并通过流式细胞术鉴定细胞表面标志物,将实验分为2组:对照组和脂肪来源干细胞共培养组。采用Transwell进行共培养,脂肪干细胞与前列腺增生上皮BPH-1细胞共培养组中两者比例为1:1,对照组中不含脂肪干细胞。CCK8检测前列腺增生上皮BPH-1细胞活力;羟脯氨酸法检测前列腺增生上皮细胞胶原合成能力;流式检测前列腺增生上皮细胞凋亡率;Western blotting检测前列腺增生上皮细胞Wnt3a、Bcl2和β-catenin蛋白表达水平。流式细胞仪检测结果,显示酶消化法能够从脂肪组织中分离出脂肪干细胞。人脂肪来源干细胞与前列腺增生上皮BPH-1细胞共培养能够显著抑制前列腺增生上皮BPH-1细胞的增殖能力,羟脯氨酸检测结果表明,脂肪干细胞能够显著抑制前列腺增生上皮BPH-1细胞胶原合成,流式检测结果显示脂肪干细胞能够显著促进前列腺增生上皮BPH-1细胞的凋亡,Western blotting检测显示脂肪干细胞能够显著抑制前列腺增生上皮BPH-1细胞Wnt3a、Bcl2和β-catenin蛋白表达。本研究的初步结论表明:脂肪来源干细胞通过抑制Wnt/β-catenin通路抑制前列腺增生上皮BPH-1细胞增殖。     

牙源性干细胞复合微渠多孔羟基磷灰石支架成骨性能研究*

目的: 探讨牙源性干细胞复合微渠多孔羟基磷灰石支架(grooved porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds, HAG支架)的成骨性能,为骨缺损修复治疗提供新手段。方法: 从健康成人第三磨牙中提取牙周膜干细胞(periodontal ligament stem cells, PDLSCs)及牙髓干细胞(dental pulp stem cells, DPSCs)分别接种于HAG支架上,进行多向分化鉴定及碱性磷酸酶(alkaline phosphatase,ALP)活性测定;并通过CCK-8检测细胞增殖能力;逆转录聚合酶链反应(qRT-PCR)检测骨形态发生蛋白2(bone morphogenetic protein 2, BMP-2)、骨钙素(osteocalcin, OCN)和骨桥蛋白(osteopontin, OPN)等成骨相关基因的表达。体内研究中将搭载PDLSCs和DPSCs的HAG支架移植到裸鼠的背部皮下,8周后取材,组织切片后采用苏木精-伊红(HE)染色观察新骨形成,提取组织蛋白采用Western blot检测ALP、OCN等成骨相关蛋白的表达。结果: 体外研究中DPSCs复合HAG支架组的细胞增殖能力、ALP活性,以及成骨相关基因ALP、BMP2、OCN等的表达均高于PDLSCs复合HAG支架组。体内研究中HE染色显示,PDLSCs复合HAG支架组及DPSCs复合HAG支架组均较空白HAG支架组有更多细胞生长区、纤维细胞增生及骨基质形成,且DPSCs复合HAG支架组的骨基质面积更大,成纤维细胞数量更多;PDLSCs复合HAG支架组及DPSCs复合HAG支架组成骨相关蛋白的表达量均高于空白HAG组,且DPSCs复合HAG支架组中ALP蛋白表达量显著高于PDLSCs复合HAG支架组。结论: PDLSCs、DPSCs复合HAG支架在体内外均表现出良好的成骨性能,其中DPSCs复合HAG支架的成骨性能更为优异。     

脂肪干细胞的共培养及其分化应用概述

干细胞在体外特定培养条件下可以被诱导分化成具有不同体细胞表型的细胞。除了通过不同培养条件进行体外诱导分化的方法外,用成熟体细胞与干细胞共培养同样可以诱导干细胞定向分化。以下首先简述了脂肪干细胞 (Adipose-derived stem cells,ADSCs) 的来源及其标志,然后重点就ADSCs的不同培养方法、诱导分化及最新的临床应用进行阐述,包括药物及化学诱导培养、体细胞与ADSCs二维、三维共培养等,最后提出ADSCs的问题所在并对此技术进行展望。     

小鼠胚胎干细胞对黑色素瘤细胞体外生物学行为的影响

探讨体外共培养环境中小鼠胚胎干细胞对小鼠黑色素瘤B16细胞的影响。建立C57BL/6小鼠胚胎干细胞系,通过小鼠胚胎干细胞与肿瘤细胞体外共培养模型观察小鼠胚胎干细胞对肿瘤细胞的形态及生长行为的影响,MTT法与transwell小室法分别检测共培养后肿瘤细胞粘附性、迁移性及侵袭性的变化。共培养中小鼠胚胎干细胞能够侵入并推开小鼠黑色素瘤细胞形成自己的生长空间,与对照组比较共培养后肿瘤细胞的粘附性、迁移性及侵袭性均显著降低(P<0.05,P<0.01)。结果表明体外共培养体系中小鼠胚胎干细胞能够侵袭肿瘤细胞,并降低细胞粘附、迁移及侵袭相关恶性生物学行为。     

人外周血单个核细胞与脐带间充质干细胞共培养的AFM研究

采用原子力显微镜与倒置显微镜在细胞层次上观察了人外周单个核细胞(PBMCs)与同种异源脐带间充质干细胞(hUC-MSCs)共培养的过程,并在单细胞水平上分析了共培养前后人外周单个核细胞的形貌和生物物理性质。结果发现:共培养后贴壁人外周单个核细胞的形态发生了很大的改变,并且表面分布着大小不一的颗粒状聚合物。利用AFM高空间分辨的力位移曲线测量系统,发现共培养72h后培养上清中人外周单个核细胞、贴壁的人外周单个核细胞的粘滞力分别是单纯培养72h的人外周单个核细胞的2倍、5倍,而细胞的硬度分别是单纯培养人外周单个核细胞的1.5倍、2倍。CCK-8检测提示,共培养过程中,干细胞的生长与外周血单个核细胞的生长出现了竞争作用。通过AFM探测人外周单个核细胞与脐带间充质干细胞共培养的可视化数据,有助于更好地了解间充质干细胞与外周血单个核细胞的相互作用。     

RCMV感染星形胶质细胞对神经干细胞分化的影响

探讨大鼠巨细胞病毒（rat cytomegalovirus,RCMV）感染大鼠星形胶质细胞后,对神经干细胞分化的影响。原代分离培养新生大鼠星形胶质细胞和胚胎海马神经干细胞,将星形胶质细胞感染RCMV后和神经干细胞在Transwell24孔共培养体系下进行共培养,同时设对照组;用免疫荧光染色等方法检测神经干细胞与感染RCMV的星形胶质细胞共培养后,其分化细胞中神经元微管相关蛋白（microtubule-associated protein 2,MAP2）和星形胶质细胞胶质纤维酸性蛋白（glial fibril—lary acidic protein,GFAP）的表达。结果发现,感染RCMV的星形胶质细胞与神经干细胞共培养时,神经干细胞分化减慢,分化成的神经元和星形胶质细胞比率低于对照组,提示星形胶质细胞感染RCMV后可抑制神经干细胞的分化,可能与RCMV影响星形胶质细胞合成和分泌各种营养因子,干扰了神经干细胞的分化进程有关。     

TGF-β与IL-6介导的骨髓基质干细胞对EAE的双向调节作用研究

目的:探讨在实验性自身免疫性脑脊髓炎(EAE)治疗中TGF-β与IL-6介导的骨髓基质干细胞(BMSCs)的双向调节作用与机制。方法:分离纯化BMSCs,并与EAE大鼠动物模型淋巴细胞共培养,应用抗TGF-β和IL-6单克隆抗体封闭TGF-β或IL-6通路,ELISA检测不同比例MSC与淋巴细胞共培养中对细胞因子的作用,流式细胞仪检测MSC对Th细胞亚群分化的影响,过继免疫临床评分检测BMSC治疗中的关键通路。结果:1:10比例BMSCs共培养组与对照组相比,IL-17分泌量下降(P0.05),Treg细胞显著增高(P0.05)而Th17细胞显著降低(P0.05),共培养后的淋巴细胞进行过继免疫回输后,1:10干细胞共培养组临床评分显著降低(P0.05),而1:100比例共培养组与上述结果相反,中和TGF-β和IL-6抗体可以调节此免疫作用。结论:BMSCs通过TGF-β和IL-6通路调节免疫系统调节性T细胞(Treg)和Th17的细胞平衡,此过程与BMSCs剂量密切相关,本研究可为干细胞更好的临床应用提供理论基础。     

小分子化合物诱导干细胞向视网膜感光细胞分化的研究进展

干细胞是一类具有多向分化潜能的细胞群,如胚胎干细胞(embryonic stem cell,ESC)、诱导多潜能干细胞(induced pluripotent stem cell,i PSC)等,可在特定的条件下向包括视网膜感光细胞在内的多种细胞分化。小分子化合物是一类由组织细胞合成、分泌的小分子多肽类因子,特定的小分子化合物可作用于干细胞诱导其向视网膜感光细胞分化。目前,对干细胞体外培养,通过使用不同的诱导培养方案,探索干细胞向视网膜感光细胞分化的研究成为热点。早期,研究者们主要在共培养条件下采用小分子化合物诱导ESC向视网膜感光细胞分化,随着研究的进展,逐渐开始探索在无共培养条件下小分子化合物诱导ESC向视网膜感光细胞的分化以及小分子化合物诱导i PSC向视网膜感光细胞的分化。本文主要就小分子化合物促进ESC和i PSC向视网膜感光细胞分化的研究进展进行综述。     

Therapeutic potential of periodontal ligament stem cells

Inflammatory periodontal disease known as periodontitis is one of the most common conditions that affect human teeth and often leads to tooth loss. Due to the complexity of the periodontium, which is composed of several tissues, its regeneration and subsequent return to a homeostatic state is challenging with the therapies currently available. Cellular therapy is increasingly becoming an alternative in regenerative medicine/dentistry, especially therapies using mesenchymal stem cells, as they can be isolated from a myriad of tissues. Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are probably the most adequate to be used as a cell source with the aim of regenerating the periodontium. Biological insights have also highlighted PDLSCs as promising immunomodulator agents. In this review, we explore the state of knowledge regarding the properties of PDLSCs, as well as their therapeutic potential, describing current and future clinical applications based on tissue engineering techniques.     

Vitamin C treatment promotes mesenchymal stem cell sheet formation and tissue regeneration by elevating telomerase activity

Cell sheet engineering has been developed as an alternative approach to improve mesenchymal stem cell-mediated tissue regeneration. In this study, we found that vitamin C (Vc) was capable of inducing telomerase activity in periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), leading to the up-regulated expression of extracellular matrix type I collagen, fibronectin, and integrin β1, stem cell markers Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog as well as osteogenic markers RUNX2, ALP, OCN. Under Vc treatment, PDLSCs can form cell sheet structures because of increased cell matrix production. Interestingly, PDLSC sheets demonstrated a significant improvement in tissue regeneration compared with untreated control dissociated PDLSCs and offered an effective treatment for periodontal defects in a swine model. In addition, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell sheets and umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell sheets were also well constructed using this method. The development of Vc-mediated mesenchymal stem cell sheets may provide an easy and practical approach for cell-based tissue regeneration.     

Characterisation of human dental stem cells and buccal mucosa fibroblasts

Human craniofacial stem cells are recently discovered sources of putative mesenchymal stem cells that hold great promise for autogenic or allogenic cell therapy and tissue engineering. Prior to employing these cells in clinical applications, they must be thoroughly investigated and characterized. In this study, the surface marker expression was investigated on dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), dental follicle cells (DFCs), periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), and buccal mucosa fibroblasts (BMFs) utilising surface markers for flow cytometry. The osteogenic potential was also examined by bone-associated markers alkaline phosphatase, Runx2, collagen type I, osteocalcin, and osteopontin. The results from our study demonstrate that the dental cell sources exhibit comparable surface marker and bone-associated marker profiles parallel to those of other mesenchymal stem cell sources, yet distinct from the buccal mucosa fibroblasts. Our data support evidence towards clinical applicability of dental stem cells in hard tissue regeneration.     

Mass acquisition of human periodontal ligament stem cells

The periodontal ligament (PDL) is an essential fibrous tissue for tooth retention in the alveolar bone socket. PDL tissue further functions to cushion occlusal force, maintain alveolar bone height, allow orthodontic tooth movement, and connect tooth roots with bone. Severe periodontitis, deep caries, and trauma cause irreversible damage to this tissue, eventually leading to tooth loss through the destruction of tooth retention. Many patients suffer from these diseases worldwide, and its prevalence increases with age. To address this issue, regenerative medicine for damaged PDL tissue as well as the surrounding tissues has been extensively investigated regarding the potential and effectiveness of stem cells, scaffolds, and cytokines as well as their combined applications. In particular, PDL stem cells (PDLSCs) have been well studied. In this review, I discuss comprehensive studies on PDLSCs performed in vivo and contemporary reports focusing on the acquisition of large numbers of PDLSCs for therapeutic applications because of the very small number of PDLSCs available in vivo.     

Immunomodulatory properties of human periodontal ligament stem cells

Tissue engineering utilizing periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) has recently been proposed for the development of new periodontal regenerative therapies. Although the use of autologous PDLSC transplantation eliminates the potential of a significant host immune response against the donor cells, it is often difficult to generate enough PDLSCs from one donor source due to the variation of stem cell potential between donors and disease state of each patient. In this study, we examined the immunomodulatory properties of PDLSCs as candidates for new allogeneic stem cell‐based therapies. Human PDLSCs displayed cell surface marker characteristics and differentiation potential similar to bone marrow stromal stem cells (BMSSCs) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). PDLSCs, BMSSCs, and DPSCs inhibited peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMNC) proliferation stimulated with mitogen or in an allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Interestingly, gingival fibroblasts (GFs) also suppressed allogeneic PBMNC proliferation under both assay conditions. PDLSCs, BMSSCs, DPSCs, and GFs exhibited non‐cell contact dependent suppression of PBMNC proliferation in co‐cultures using transwells. Furthermore, conditioned media (CM) derived from each cell type pretreated with IFN‐γ partially suppressed PBMNC proliferation when compared to CMs without IFN‐γ stimulation. In all of these mesenchymal cell types cultured with activated PBMNCs, the expression of TGF‐β1, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and indoleamine 2, 3‐dioxygenase (IDO) was upregulated while IDO expression was upregulated following stimulation with IFN‐γ. These results suggest that PDLSCs, BMSSCs, DPSCs, and GFs possess immunosuppressive properties mediated, in part, by soluble factors, produced by activated PBMNCs. J. Cell. Physiol. 219: 667–676, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Mechanical stress regulates osteogenic differentiation and RANKL/OPG ratio in periodontal ligament stem cells by the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

BackgroundThe balance between osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity is critical in orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play an important role in maintaining bone homeostasis, and periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are tissue-specific MSCs in the periodontal ligament. However, whether PDLSCs are required for periodontal tissue remodeling during OTM is not fully understood.MethodsHere, we used PDGFRα and Nestin to trace PDLSCs during OTM in rats. We treat human PDLSCs with 100 kpa static pressure for 1 h or 12 h in vitro, and examined the phenotypic changes and expression of RANKL and OPG in these cells.ResultsIn vivo, we found that positive signals of PDGFRα and Nestin in the PDL gradually increased and then decreased on the pressure side to which pressure was applied. In vitro, the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs was significantly increased after force treatment for 1 h relative to 12 h. In contrast, the expression ratio of RANKL/OPG was reduced at 1 h and significantly increased at 12 h. Furthermore, we found that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was dynamically activated in the PDL and in PDLSCs after mechanical stimulation. Importantly, the canonical Wnt pathway inhibitor DKK1 blocked the osteogenesis effect and rescued the ratio of RANKL/OPG in PDLSCs under force treatment for 1 h.ConclusionsOur findings reveal that PDLSCs participate in OTM and that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway maintains bone homeostasis during tooth movement by regulating the balance between osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity.General significanceWe describe a novel potential mechanism related to tooth movement.