Gene expression profile reveals that STAT2 is involved in the immunosuppressive function of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Gene. 2012 Apr 15;497(2):131-9. doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2012.01.073.

Abstract

Emerging evidence of the potent immunosuppressive activity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) by modulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses enables MSCs to be developed as a promising therapeutic modality for immune-related or inflammatory diseases. However, it is not clearly understood how MSCs exert their immunosuppressive effects on immune cells under inflammatory conditions. Using human bone marrow (BM)-derived clonal MSCs (hcMSCs), we obtained and analyzed a differentially expressed gene profile when stimulated with the inflammatory cytokines interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) to find novel candidate factors responsible for MSC immunomodulation. Microarray analysis showed that 5650 genes were upregulated and 5862 genes were downregulated with the cutoff of 2-fold expression change. Among these, the ICOSLG and STAT2 genes were drastically upregulated 173-fold and 154-fold, respectively. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed the microarray data. To evaluate whether their increased expression is related to MSC-mediated immunosuppression,siRNA-induced ICOSLG- or STAT2-knockdown hcMSCs were assessed for their T cell suppressive activity. We demonstrated that STAT2 but not ICOSLG is functionally involved in the immunosuppressive activity of hcMSCs as a novel regulator under inflammatory conditions. Gene ontology and pathway analyses further support the immunomodulatory function of hcMSCs when inflammatory stimulation was provided.Taken together, this study provides an informative genome-wide gene expression profile and molecular evidence for understanding the mechanisms underlying the modulation of immune cells by human BM-derived MSCs under inflammatory conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bone Marrow Cells / immunology*
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Down-Regulation / genetics
  • Down-Regulation / immunology
  • Gene Expression Profiling / methods
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques / methods
  • Genome-Wide Association Study / methods
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance / genetics
  • Immune Tolerance / immunology
  • Immunologic Factors / genetics
  • Immunologic Factors / immunology
  • Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Ligand / genetics
  • Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Ligand / immunology
  • Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Ligand / metabolism
  • Inflammation / genetics
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / immunology*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • STAT2 Transcription Factor / genetics*
  • STAT2 Transcription Factor / immunology*
  • STAT2 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / immunology
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism
  • Up-Regulation / genetics
  • Up-Regulation / immunology

Substances

  • ICOSLG protein, human
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Ligand
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • STAT2 Transcription Factor
  • STAT2 protein, human
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Interferon-gamma