NSU Researchers Discover Mechanism that can Improve Therapeutic Potential of Stem Cells

Researchers from NSU Cell Therapy Institute led by Dr. Vladimir Beljanski recently published a manuscript in the journal Stem Cell Research and Therapy in which they report novel therapeutic combinations with a goal to enhance therapeutic properties of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). This enhancement has potential benefits for future application of stem cells in clinics. MSCs are adult stem cells most commonly isolated from bone marrow (BM) and are being increasingly tested in clinics in various therapeutic applications, including tissue regeneration. MSCs respond to excessive inflammation and secrete factors that have anti-inflammatory properties. However, the promise of therapies based on MSCs is somewhat hindered by their apparent modest clinical benefits, including the need to utilize a large number of cells in patients. Therefore, Dr. Beljanski’s team examined approaches that would make these cells more potent through therapies which would also reduce the number of cells needed in clinics. Specifically, his team examined how MSCs respond to stress by examining the stress-response mechanism called autophagy, which is activated when cells encounter a hostile environment.

His team targeted autophagy with drugs already used in clinics and then examined whether addition of drugs improved MSCs’ therapeutic efficacy. First, his team examined how MSCs respond to such drugs by looking at expression of genes known to be responsible for therapeutic benefits of MSCs. Then they performed experiments in which MSCs were “mixed” with activated immune cells isolated from healthy people to evaluate how the drugs affect the ability of MSCs to “deactivate” immune cells. Both in cases of gene expression and in experiments where cells were mixed, the team found favorable response when, in addition of MSCs, the drugs were also used. Furthermore, the research team found that application of drugs that target autophagy resulted in increase of several other molecules such as Programmed death-ligand 1, and secretion of an enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, both of which are known to potently decrease inflammation.

The findings of this scientific study indicated that autophagy can be targeted to enhance MSCs therapeutic properties and it has the potential to be applied in the development of other cell-based therapies. NSU would like to thank the National Institute of Health for funding this research and making it possible to expand the future of scientific research at our university.

 

About National Institute of Health (NIH): The NIH is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It serves as the nation’s premier federal medical research agency and is involved in conducting and funding medical research that improve the lives of people. The NIH consists of 27 different Institutes and Centers. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute Of General Medical Sciences of the NIH under Award Number R15GM128189.

The content in this publication is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.