The synergistic immunoregulatory effects of culture-expanded mesenchymal stromal cells and CD4(+)25(+)Foxp3+ regulatory T cells on skin allograft rejection

PLoS One. 2013 Aug 5;8(8):e70968. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070968. Print 2013.

Abstract

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are seen as an ideal source of cells to induce graft acceptance; however, some reports have shown that MSCs can be immunogenic rather than immunosuppressive. We speculate that the immunomodulatory effects of regulatory T cells (Tregs) can aid the maintenance of immunoregulatory functions of MSCs, and that a combinatorial approach to cell therapy can have synergistic immunomodulatory effects on allograft rejection. After preconditioning with Fludarabine, followed by total body irradiation and anti-asialo-GM-1(ASGM-1), tail skin grafts from C57BL/6 (H-2k(b)) mice were grafted onto the lateral thoracic wall of BALB/c (H-2k(d)) mice. Group A mice (control group, n = 9) did not receive any further treatment after preconditioning, whereas groups B and C (n = 9) received cell therapy with MSCs or Tregs, respectively, on days -1, +6 and +13 relative to the skin transplantation. Group D (n = 10) received cell therapy with MSCs and Tregs on days -1, +6 and +13. Cell suspensions were obtained from the spleens of five randomly chosen mice from each group on day +7, and the immunomodulatory effects of the cell therapy were evaluated by flow cytometry and real-time PCR. Our results show that allograft survival was significantly longer in group D compared to the control group (group A). Flow cytometric analysis and real-time PCR for splenocytes revealed that the Th2 subpopulation in group D increased significantly compared to the group B. Also, the expression of Foxp3 and STAT 5 increased significantly in group D compared to the conventional cell therapy groups (B and C). Taken together, these data suggest that a combined cell therapy approach with MSCs and Tregs has a synergistic effect on immunoregulatory function in vivo, and might provide a novel strategy for improving survival in allograft transplantation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Allografts
  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Graft Enhancement, Immunologic*
  • Graft Rejection / immunology
  • Graft Rejection / prevention & control*
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / metabolism
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Phenotype
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Skin Transplantation
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / transplantation

Substances

  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Foxp3 protein, mouse
  • Il2ra protein, mouse
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor

Grants and funding

This study was supported by a grant from the Korean Health Technology R&D Project, Ministry for Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea. (A092258). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.