POS0374 SENESCENCE DID NOT ALTER THE CHONDROPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES FROM MESENCHYMAL STROMAL CELLS

Background:Age is the most important risk factor in degenerative osteoarthritis (OA) and is associated with the accumulation of senescent cells that contribute to functional decline of joint. We previously demonstrated that extracellular vesicles (EVs) from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) largely mediate the therapeutic effect of parental cells in OA.Objectives:Here, we assessed the impact of senescence on the characteristics of EVs from adipose tissue-derived MSCs (ASC-EVs) and their properties in an in vitro model of OAMethods:ASCs were induced to senescence using 25µM etoposide for 24 hours. Senescence was assessed by quantifying proliferation rate, SA-βGal activity, nuclear γH2AX foci number, phalloidin staining and expression of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKI) (RT-qPCR). ASC-EVs were isolated by differential ultracentrifugation and characterized by size, concentration, total protein content, structure (cryo-TEM) and immunophenotype. In vitro OA model used chondrocytes isolated from OA patients, which were stimulated with IL1β for 48h before culture with ASCs or ASC-EVs for 7 days. Expression of chondrocytic and inflammatory markers was quantified by RT-qPCR and SASP factors were quantified by ELISA in supernatants.Results:Senescence-induced ASCs experienced growth arrest and increase of SA-βGal staining, of p21 CDKI expression, of nuclear γH2AX foci, of stress fibers and of several SASP factors (IL6, IL8, MMP3) confirming the expression of main senescence features. Senescent ASCs produced 4-fold more EVs than healthy ASCs and senescent ASC-EVs were larger. In vitro, both healthy and senescent ASCs decreased fibrotic markers (type III COLLAGEN), catabolic and hypertrophic markers (MMP3, MMP13, AP) and increased COX2 expression in OA chondrocytes. By contrast, healthy ASCs decreased the expression of IL6 while senescent ASCs highly increased IL6. Looking at the role of ASC-EVs on OA chondrocytes, we found out that both healthy and senescent ASC-EVs were able to increase the expression of AGG and type II COLLAGEN while they decreased the expression of MMP13, AP, type X COLLAGEN, HMOX1 and IL6. Finally, healthy and senescent ASC-EVs decreased the number of SA-βGal positive chondrocytes but did not impact the expression of p21 in IL1β-induced chondrocytes.Conclusion:Our results indicated a chondroprotective effect of ASC-EVs, independently of the senescent state of parental cells and suggested that EVs might act through different mechanisms than ASCs, which warrants further investigationDisclosure of Interests:Jérémy Boulestreau: None declared, Marie Maumus Employee of: Bauerfeind France, Pauline Rozier: None declared, Christian Jorgensen Shareholder of: Medxcell sciences, Consultant of: Medxcell sciences, Daniele Noel Shareholder of: Medxcell sciences, Consultant of: Medxcell sciences

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Mesenchymal Stromal Cells From Emphysematous Donors and Their Extracellular Vesicles Are Unable to Reverse Cardiorespiratory Dysfunction in Experimental Severe Emphysema

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology ◽

10.3389/fcell.2021.661385 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Mariana A. Antunes ◽

Cassia L. Braga ◽

Tainá B. Oliveira ◽

Jamil Z. Kitoko ◽

Ligia L. Castro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Severe Emphysema ◽

Arginase 1 ◽

The Impact

Although bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) appear to be phenotypically and functionally similar to BM-MSCs from healthy sources in vitro, the impact of COPD on MSC metabolism and mitochondrial function has not been evaluated. In this study, we aimed to comparatively characterize MSCs from healthy and emphysematous donors (H-MSCs and E-MSCs) in vitro and to assess the therapeutic potential of these MSCs and their extracellular vesicles (H-EVs and E-EVs) in an in vivo model of severe emphysema. For this purpose, C57BL/6 mice received intratracheal porcine pancreatic elastase once weekly for 4 weeks to induce emphysema; control animals received saline under the same protocol. Twenty-four hours after the last instillation, animals received saline, H-MSCs, E-MSCs, H-EVs, or E-EVs intravenously. In vitro characterization demonstrated that E-MSCs present downregulation of anti-inflammatory (TSG-6, VEGF, TGF-β, and HGF) and anti-oxidant (CAT, SOD, Nrf2, and GSH) genes, and their EVs had larger median diameter and lower average concentration. Compared with H-MSC, E-MSC mitochondria also exhibited a higher respiration rate, were morphologically elongated, expressed less dynamin-related protein-1, and produced more superoxide. When co-cultured with alveolar macrophages, both H-MSCs and E-MSCs induced an increase in iNOS and arginase-1 levels, but only H-MSCs and their EVs were able to enhance IL-10 levels. In vivo, emphysematous mice treated with E-MSCs or E-EVs demonstrated no amelioration in cardiorespiratory dysfunction. On the other hand, H-EVs, but not H-MSCs, were able to reduce the neutrophil count, the mean linear intercept, and IL-1β and TGF-β levels in lung tissue, as well as reduce pulmonary arterial hypertension and increase the right ventricular area in a murine model of elastase-induced severe emphysema. In conclusion, E-MSCs and E-EVs were unable to reverse cardiorespiratory dysfunction, whereas H-EVs administration was associated with a reduction in cardiovascular and respiratory damage in experimental severe emphysema.

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Pro-Inflammatory Priming of Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Alters the Protein Cargo of Their Extracellular Vesicles

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells9030726 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 726

Author(s):

Mairead Hyland ◽

Claire Mennan ◽

Emma Wilson ◽

Aled Clayton ◽

Oksana Kehoe

Keyword(s):

Umbilical Cord ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Protein Profile ◽

Culture Conditions ◽

Low Oxygen ◽

Culture Environment ◽

The Impact

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (UCMSCs) have shown an ability to modulate the immune system through the secretion of paracrine mediators, such as extracellular vesicles (EVs). However, the culture conditions that UCMSCs are grown in can alter their secretome and thereby affect their immunomodulatory potential. UCMSCs are commonly cultured at 21% O2 in vitro, but recent research is exploring their growth at lower oxygen conditions to emulate circulating oxygen levels in vivo. Additionally, a pro-inflammatory culture environment is known to enhance UCMSC anti-inflammatory potential. Therefore, this paper examined EVs from UCMSCs grown in normal oxygen (21% O2), low oxygen (5% O2) and pro-inflammatory conditions to see the impact of culture conditions on the EV profile. EVs were isolated from UCMSC conditioned media and characterised based on size, morphology and surface marker expression. EV protein cargo was analysed using a proximity-based extension assay. Results showed that EVs had a similar size and morphology. Differences were found in EV protein cargo, with pro-inflammatory primed EVs showing an increase in proteins associated with chemotaxis and angiogenesis. This showed that the UCMSC culture environment could alter the EV protein profile and might have downstream implications for their functions in immunomodulation.

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Extracellular Vesicles Are More Potent Than Adipose Mesenchymal Stromal Cells to Exert an Anti-Fibrotic Effect in an In Vitro Model of Systemic Sclerosis

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22136837 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (13) ◽

pp. 6837

Author(s):

Pauline Rozier ◽

Marie Maumus ◽

Claire Bony ◽

Alexandre Thibault Jacques Maria ◽

Florence Sabatier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systemic Sclerosis ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

In Vitro Model ◽

Specific Treatment ◽

Complex Disorder ◽

Molecular Features ◽

Vitro Model

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex disorder resulting from dysregulated interactions between the three main pathophysiological axes: fibrosis, immune dysfunction, and vasculopathy, with no specific treatment available to date. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ASCs) and their extracellular vesicles (EVs) have proved efficacy in pre-clinical murine models of SSc. However, their precise action mechanism is still not fully understood. Because of the lack of availability of fibroblasts isolated from SSc patients (SSc-Fb), our aim was to determine whether a TGFβ1-induced model of human myofibroblasts (Tβ-Fb) could reproduce the characteristics of SSc-Fb and be used to evaluate the anti-fibrotic function of ASCs and their EVs. We found out that Tβ-Fb displayed the main morphological and molecular features of SSc-Fb, including the enlarged hypertrophic morphology and expression of several markers associated with the myofibroblastic phenotype. Using this model, we showed that ASCs were able to regulate the expression of most myofibroblastic markers on Tβ-Fb and SSc-Fb, but only when pre-stimulated with TGFβ1. Of interest, ASC-derived EVs were more effective than parental cells for improving the myofibroblastic phenotype. In conclusion, we provided evidence that Tβ-Fb are a relevant model to mimic the main characteristics of SSc fibroblasts and investigate the mechanism of action of ASCs. We further reported that ASC-EVs are more effective than parental cells suggesting that the TGFβ1-induced pro-fibrotic environment may alter the function of ASCs.

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miR-4732-3p in Extracellular Vesicles From Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Is Cardioprotective During Myocardial Ischemia

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology ◽

10.3389/fcell.2021.734143 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Rafael Sánchez-Sánchez ◽

Marta Gómez-Ferrer ◽

Ignacio Reinal ◽

Marc Buigues ◽

Estela Villanueva-Bádenas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ◽

Transforming Growth Factor Beta ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Transforming Growth Factor ◽

Lentiviral Vector ◽

Glucose Deprivation ◽

Scar Tissue

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are an emerging alternative to cell-based therapies to treat many diseases. However, the complexity of producing homogeneous populations of EVs in sufficient amount hampers their clinical use. To address these limitations, we immortalized dental pulp-derived MSC using a human telomerase lentiviral vector and investigated the cardioprotective potential of a hypoxia-regulated EV-derived cargo microRNA, miR-4732-3p. We tested the compared the capacity of a synthetic miR-4732-3p mimic with EVs to confer protection to cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts and endothelial cells against oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Results showed that OGD-induced cardiomyocytes treated with either EVs or miR-4732-3p showed prolonged spontaneous beating, lowered ROS levels, and less apoptosis. Transfection of the miR-4732-3p mimic was more effective than EVs in stimulating angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo and in reducing fibroblast differentiation upon transforming growth factor beta treatment. Finally, the miR-4732-3p mimic reduced scar tissue and preserved cardiac function when transplanted intramyocardially in infarcted nude rats. Overall, these results indicate that miR-4732-3p is regulated by hypoxia and exerts cardioprotective actions against ischemic insult, with potential application in cell-free-based therapeutic strategies.

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In Vitro Study of Extracellular Vesicles Migration in Cartilage-Derived Osteoarthritis Samples Using Real-Time Quantitative Multimodal Nonlinear Optics Imaging

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics12080734 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 734

Author(s):

Leonardo Mortati ◽

Laura de Girolamo ◽

Carlotta Perucca Orfei ◽

Marco Viganò ◽

Marco Brayda-Bruno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Second Harmonic ◽

Time Lapse ◽

Cartilage Explants ◽

Innovative Technology

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising therapeutic nano-carriers for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). The assessment of their uptake in tissues is mandatory but, to date, available technology does not allow to track and quantify incorporation in real-time. To fill this knowledge gap, the present study was intended to develop an innovative technology to determine kinetics of fluorescent MSC-EV uptake by means of time-lapse quantitative microscopy techniques. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ASCs)-EVs were fluorescently labeled and tracked during their uptake into chondrocytes micromasses or cartilage explants, both derived from OA patients. Immunofluorescence and time-lapse coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, second harmonic generation and two-photon excited fluorescence were used to follow and quantify incorporation. EVs penetration appeared quickly after few minutes and reached 30–40 μm depth after 5 h in both explants and micromasses. In explants, uptake was slightly faster, with EVs signal overlapping both extracellular matrix and chondrocytes, whereas in micromasses a more homogenous diffusion was observed. The finding of this study demonstrates that this innovative technology is a powerful tool to monitor EVs migration in tissues characterized by a complex extracellular network, and to obtain data resembling in vivo conditions.

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Extracellular Vesicles Isolated from Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Primed with Hypoxia: Novel strategy in Regenerative Medicine

Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy ◽

10.2174/1574888x15999200918110638 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

Author(s):

Shalmali Pendse ◽

Vaijayanti Kale ◽

Anuradha Vaidya

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Cell Types ◽

Molecular Profile ◽

Cell Contact ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) regulate other cell types through a strong paracrine component called the secretome, comprising of several bioactive entities. The composition of the MSCs’ secretome is dependent upon the microenvironment in which they thrive, and hence, it could be altered by pre-conditioning the MSCs during in vitro culture. The primary aim of this review is to discuss various strategies that are being used for pre-conditioning of MSCs, also known as “priming of MSCs”, in the context of improving their therapeutic potential. Several studies have underscored the importance of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from primed MSCs in improving their efficacy in the treatment of various diseases. We have previously shown that co-culturing hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with hypoxiaprimed MSCs improves their engraftment potential. Now the question we pose is would priming of MSCs with hypoxiafavorably alter theirsecretome and would this altered secretome work as effectively as the cell to cell contact did? Here we review the current strategies of using the secretome, specifically the EVs (microvesicles and exosomes), collected from the primed MSCs with the intention of expanding HSCs ex vivo. We speculate that an effective priming of MSCs in vitrocould modulate the molecular profile of their secretome, which could eventually be used as a cell-free biologic in clinical settings.

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miRNA Reference Genes in Extracellular Vesicles Released from Amniotic Membrane-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics12040347 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 347 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Enrico Ragni ◽

Carlotta Perucca Orfei ◽

Antonietta Rosa Silini ◽

Alessandra Colombini ◽

Marco Viganò ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ◽

Amniotic Membrane ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Reference Genes ◽

Target Cells ◽

Human Amniotic Membrane ◽

U6 Snrna ◽

Therapeutic Molecules ◽

The Impact

Human amniotic membrane and amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSCs) have produced promising results in regenerative medicine, especially for the treatment of inflammatory-based diseases and for different injuries including those in the orthopedic field such as tendon disorders. hAMSCs have been proposed to exert their anti-inflammatory and healing potential via secreted factors, both free and conveyed within extracellular vesicles (EVs). In particular, EV miRNAs are considered privileged players due to their impact on target cells and tissues, and their future use as therapeutic molecules is being intensely investigated. In this view, EV-miRNA quantification in either research or future clinical products has emerged as a crucial paradigm, although, to date, largely unsolved due to lack of reliable reference genes (RGs). In this study, a panel of thirteen putative miRNA RGs (let-7a-5p, miR-16-5p, miR-22-5p, miR-23a-3p, miR-26a-5p, miR-29a-5p, miR-101-3p, miR-103a-3p, miR-221-3p, miR-423-5p, miR-425-5p, miR-660-5p and U6 snRNA) that were identified in different EV types was assessed in hAMSC-EVs. A validated experimental pipeline was followed, sifting the output of four largely accepted algorithms for RG prediction (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and ΔCt method). Out of nine RGs constitutively expressed across all EV isolates, miR-101-3p and miR-22-5p resulted in the most stable RGs, whereas miR-423-5p and U6 snRNA performed poorly. miR-22-5p was also previously reported to be a reliable RG in adipose-derived MSC-EVs, suggesting its suitability across samples isolated from different MSC types. Further, to shed light on the impact of incorrect RG choice, the level of five tendon-related miRNAs (miR-29a-3p, miR-135a-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-337-3p, let-7d-5p) was compared among hAMSC-EVs isolates. The use of miR-423-5p and U6 snRNA did not allow a correct quantification of miRNA incorporation in EVs, leading to less accurate fingerprinting and, if used for potency prediction, misleading indication of the most appropriate clinical batch. These results emphasize the crucial importance of RG choice for EV-miRNAs in hAMSCs studies and contribute to the identification of reliable RGs such as miR-101-3p and miR-22-5p to be validated in other MSC-EVs related fields.

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Direct comparison of different therapeutic cell types susceptibility to inflammatory cytokines associated with COVID-19 acute lung injury

Stem Cell Research & Therapy ◽

10.1186/s13287-021-02699-7 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ramana Vaka ◽

Saad Khan ◽

Bin Ye ◽

Yousef Risha ◽

Sandrine Parent ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Flow Cytometry ◽

Cell Viability ◽

Disease Progression ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Inflammatory Cytokines ◽

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ◽

Inflammatory Mediators ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Although 90% of infections with the novel coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) are mild, many patients progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) which carries a high risk of mortality. Given that this dysregulated immune response plays a key role in the pathology of COVID-19, several clinical trials are underway to evaluate the effect of immunomodulatory cell therapy on disease progression. However, little is known about the effect of ARDS associated pro-inflammatory mediators on transplanted stem cell function and survival, and any deleterious effects could undermine therapeutic efficacy. As such, we assessed the impact of inflammatory cytokines on the viability, and paracrine profile (extracellular vesicles) of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells, heart-derived cells, and umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells. Methods All cell products were manufactured and characterized to established clinical release standards by an accredited clinical cell manufacturing facility. Cytokines and Extracellular vesicles in the cell conditioned media were profiled using proteomic array and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Using a survey of the clinical literature, 6 cytotoxic cytokines implicated in the progression of COVID-19 ARDS. Flow cytometry was employed to determine receptor expression of these 6 cytokines in three cell products. Based on clinical survey and flow cytometry data, a cytokine cocktail that mimics cytokine storm seen in COVID-19 ARDS patients was designed and the impact on cytokine cocktail on viability and paracrine secretory ability of cell products were assessed using cell viability and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Results Flow cytometry revealed the presence of receptors for all cytokines but IL-6, which was subsequently excluded from further experimentation. Despite this widespread expression, exposure of each cell type to individual cytokines at doses tenfold greater than observed clinically or in combination at doses associated with severe ARDS did not alter cell viability or extracellular vesicle character/production in any of the 3 cell products. Conclusions The paracrine production and viability of the three leading cell products under clinical evaluation for the treatment of severe COVID-19 ARDS are not altered by inflammatory mediators implicated in disease progression.

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The Impact of Various Culture Conditions on Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Metabolism

Stem Cells International ◽

10.1155/2021/6659244 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Pavla Tonarova ◽

Katerina Lochovska ◽

Robert Pytlik ◽

Marie Hubalek Kalbacova

Keyword(s):

Human Serum ◽

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Reciprocal Relationship ◽

Heat Inactivation ◽

High Quality ◽

Native Form ◽

The Impact

In vitro and in vivo analyses are closely connected, and the reciprocal relationship between the two comprises a key assumption with concern to the conducting of meaningful research. The primary purpose of in vitro analysis is to provide a solid background for in vivo and clinical study purposes. The fields of cell therapy, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine depend upon the high quality and appropriate degree of the expansion of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) under low-risk and well-defined conditions. Hence, it is necessary to determine suitable alternatives to fetal bovine serum (FBS—the laboratory gold standard) that comply with all the relevant clinical requirements and that provide the appropriate quantity of high-quality cells while preserving the required properties. Human serum (autologous and allogeneic) and blood platelet lysates and releasates are currently considered to offer promising and relatively well-accessible MSC cultivation alternatives. Our study compared the effect of heat-inactivated FBS on MSC metabolism as compared to its native form (both are used as the standard in laboratory practice) and to potential alternatives with concern to clinical application—human serum (allogeneic and autologous) or platelet releasate (PR-SRGF). The influence of the origin of the serum (fetal versus adult) was also determined. The results revealed the key impact of the heat inactivation of FBS on MSCs and the effectiveness of human sera and platelet releasates with respect to MSC behaviour (metabolic activity, proliferation, morphology, and cytokine production).

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