Immunomodulatory effects of interferon-γ on human fetal cardiac mesenchymal stromal cells

• Published in: Stem cell research & therapy 2019-12, Vol.10 (1), p.371-15, Article 371
• Main Authors: Grinnemo, Karl-Henrik, Löfling, Marie, Nathanson, Lubov, Baumgartner, Roland, Ketelhuth, Daniel F J, Beljanski, Vladimir, Davies, Lindsay C, Österholm, Cecilia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antigen presentation; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; B7-H1 Antigen - metabolism; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cell activation; Cell culture; Cell cycle; Cell death; Cell Proliferation; Cell- och molekylärbiologi; Coronary artery disease; Cytokines; Embryos; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Fetal hearts; Fetus - cytology; Fetuses; Flow cytometry; Gene expression; Heart diseases; High-performance liquid chromatography; HLA Antigens - metabolism; Humans; Immune system; Immunomodulation; Immunomodulation - drug effects; Immunoregulation; Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase - metabolism; Inflammation; Interferon gamma Receptor; Interferon-gamma - pharmacology; ISL1; Kardiologi; Klinisk medicin; Lymphocyte Activation - drug effects; Lymphocytes T; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicinsk bioteknologi; Medicinsk bioteknologi (inriktn. mot cellbiologi (inkl. stamcellsbiologi), molekylärbiologi, mikrobiologi, biokemi eller biofarmaci); Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper; Mesenchymal stem cells; Mesenchymal Stem Cells - cytology; Mesenchymal Stem Cells - metabolism; Mesenchymal stromal cells; Mesenchyme; Molecular modelling; PD-L1 protein; Pregnancy; Programmed cell death protein 1; Receptors, Interferon - metabolism; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Software; T-Lymphocytes - cytology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Transcription; Transcriptome - drug effects; γ-Interferon
• ISSN: 1757-6512; 1757-6512
• DOI: 10.1186/s13287-019-1489-1

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), due to their regenerative and immunomodulatory properties, are therapeutically used for diseases, including heart failure. As early gestational-phase embryonic tissues exhibit extraordinary regenerative potential, fetal MSCs exposed to inflammation offer a unique opportunity to evaluate molecular mechanisms underlying preferential healing, and investigate their inherent abilities to communicate with the immune system during development. The principal aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of interferon-γ (IFNγ) on the immunomodulatory effects of first-trimester human fetal cardiac (hfc)-MSCs. hfcMSCs (gestational week 8) were exposed to IFNγ, with subsequent analysis of the whole transcriptome, based on RNA sequencing. Exploration of surface-expressed immunoregulatory mediators and modulation of T cell responses were performed by flow cytometry. Presence and activity of soluble mediators were assessed by ELISA or high-performance liquid chromatography. Stimulation of hfcMSCs with IFNγ revealed significant transcriptional changes, particularly in respect to the expression of genes belonging to antigen presentation pathways, cell cycle control, and interferon signaling. Expression of immunomodulatory genes and associated functional changes, including indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity, and regulation of T cell activation and proliferation via programmed cell death protein (PD)-1 and its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2, were significantly upregulated. These immunoregulatory molecules diminished rapidly upon withdrawal of inflammatory stimulus, indicating a high degree of plasticity by hfcMSCs. To our knowledge, this is the first study performing a systematic evaluation of inflammatory responses and immunoregulatory properties of first-trimester cardiac tissue. In summary, our study demonstrates the dynamic responsiveness of hfcMSCs to inflammatory stimuli. Further understanding as to the immunoregulatory properties of hfcMSCs may be of benefit in the development of novel stromal cell therapeutics for cardiovascular disease.