Human adipose-derived stromal cells in a clinically applicable injectable alginate hydrogel: Phenotypic and immunomodulatory evaluation

Bjarke Follin Larsen, Morten Juhl, Smadar Cohen, Anders Elm Pedersen, Monika Gad, Jens Kastrup, Annette Ekblond

30 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND AIMS: Clinical trials have documented beneficial effects of mesenchymal stromal cells from bone marrow and adipose tissue (ASCs) as treatment in patients with ischemic heart disease. However, retention of transplanted cells is poor. One potential way to increase cell retention is to inject the cells in an in situ cross-linked alginate hydrogel.

METHODS: ASCs from abdominal human tissue were embedded in alginate hydrogel and alginate hydrogel modified with Arg-Gly-Asp motifs (RGD-alginate) and cultured for 1 week. Cell viability, phenotype, immunogenicity and paracrine activity were determined by confocal microscopy, dendritic cell co-culture, flow cytometry, reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Luminex multiplex, and lymphocyte proliferation experiments.

RESULTS: ASCs performed equally well in alginate and RGD-alginate. After 1 week of alginate culture, cell viability was >93%. Mesenchymal markers CD90 and CD29 were reduced compared with International Society for Cellular Therapy criteria. Cells sedimented from the alginates during cultivation regained the typical level of these markers, and trilineage differentiation was performed by standard protocols. Hepatocyte growth factor mRNA was increased in ASCs cultivated in alginates compared with monolayer controls. Alginates and alginates containing ASCs did not induce dendritic cell maturation. ASCs in alginate responded like controls to interferon-gamma stimulation (licensing), and alginate culture increased the ability of ASCs to inhibit lymphocyte proliferation.

DISCUSSION: ASCs remain viable in alginates; they transiently change phenotype in alginate hydrogel but regain the phenotype of monolayer controls upon release. Cells maintain their paracrine potential while in alginates; the combination of ASCs and alginate is non-immunogenic and, in fact, immunosuppressive.

Original languageEnglish
JournalCytotherapy
Volume17
Issue number8
Pages (from-to)1104-18
Number of pages15
ISSN1465-3249
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2015

Keywords

  • Adipocytes
  • Adipose Tissue
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alginates
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Survival
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Female
  • Glucuronic Acid
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor
  • Hexuronic Acids
  • Humans
  • Hydrogel
  • Immunomodulation
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Male
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Mesenchymal Stromal Cells
  • Middle Aged
  • Oligopeptides
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Tissue Embedding
  • Young Adult

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