Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) induce ex vivo proliferation and erythroid commitment of cord blood haematopoietic stem cells (CB-CD34+ cells)

• Published in: PloS one 2017-02, Vol.12 (2), p.e0172430-e0172430
• Main Authors: Perucca, Simone, Di Palma, Andrea, Piccaluga, Pier Paolo, Gemelli, Claudia, Zoratti, Elisa, Bassi, Giulio, Giacopuzzi, Edoardo, Lojacono, Andrea, Borsani, Giuseppe, Tagliafico, Enrico, Scupoli, Maria Teresa, Bernardi, Simona, Zanaglio, Camilla, Cattina, Federica, Cancelli, Valeria, Malagola, Michele, Krampera, Mauro, Marini, Mirella, Almici, Camillo, Ferrari, Sergio, Russo, Domenico
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adult Stem Cells - cytology; Adult Stem Cells - metabolism; Analysis; Angiogenesis; Antigens, CD34 - analysis; Biology and Life Sciences; Blood; Blood diseases; Bone marrow; CD34 antigen; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell culture; Cell differentiation; Cell growth; Cell number; Cell Proliferation; Cell Separation; Cells, Cultured; Coculture Techniques; Cord blood; Differentiation (biology); DNA microarrays; Enrichment; Erythroid Cells - cytology; Erythroid Cells - metabolism; Female; Fetal Blood - cytology; Gene expression; Gene set enrichment analysis; Genes; Hematology; Hematopoietic stem cells; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - cytology; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - metabolism; Heme; Humans; Hypoxia; Id1 protein; Insulin-like growth factor I; Kinases; Laboratories; Male; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mesenchymal stem cells; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - metabolism; Mesenchyme; Metabolism; Oxygen; Oxygen enrichment; Priming; Research and Analysis Methods; Rodents; Signal transduction; Signaling; Stem cells; Stromal cells; Transcriptome; Transforming growth factor-b; Transplants & implants; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172430

A human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell (MSCs) and cord blood-derived CD34+ stem cell co-culture system was set up in order to evaluate the proliferative and differentiative effects induced by MSCs on CD34+ stem cells, and the reciprocal influences on gene expression profiles. After 10 days of co-culture, non-adherent (SN-fraction) and adherent (AD-fraction) CD34+ stem cells were collected and analysed separately. In the presence of MSCs, a significant increase in CD34+ cell number was observed (fold increase = 14.68), mostly in the SN-fraction (fold increase = 13.20). This was combined with a significant increase in CD34+ cell differentiation towards the BFU-E colonies and with a decrease in the CFU-GM. These observations were confirmed by microarray analysis. Through gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), we noted a significant enrichment in genes involved in heme metabolism (e.g. LAMP2, CLCN3, BMP2K), mitotic spindle formation and proliferation (e.g. PALLD, SOS1, CCNA1) and TGF-beta signalling (e.g. ID1) and a down-modulation of genes participating in myeloid and lymphoid differentiation (e.g. PCGF2) in the co-cultured CD34+ stem cells. On the other hand, a significant enrichment in genes involved in oxygen-level response (e.g. TNFAIP3, SLC2A3, KLF6) and angiogenesis (e.g. VEGFA, IGF1, ID1) was found in the co-cultured MSCs. Taken together, our results suggest that MSCs can exert a priming effect on CD34+ stem cells, regulating their proliferation and erythroid differentiation. In turn, CD34+ stem cells seem to be able to polarise the BM-niche towards the vascular compartment by modulating molecular pathways related to hypoxia and angiogenesis.