Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Inhibiting the Fibrosis and Autoimmune Development in HOCl-Induced Systemic Scleroderma Mouse Model

• Published in: International journal of stem cells 2021-08, Vol.14 (3), p.262-274
• Main Authors: Jin, Xin, Hou, Jiali, Zheng, Ke, Wei, Dan, Zhang, Ali, Wang, Siqi, Mei, Hua, Li, Chuang, Cheng, Lamei, Sun, Xuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Original
• ISSN: 2005-3606; 2005-5447
• DOI: 10.15283/ijsc20002

Systemic scleroderma (SSc) is a rare and serious connective tissue disease, an autoimmune disease, and a rare refractory disease. In this study, preventive effect of single systemic human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) transfusion on SSc was preliminarily explored. SSc mouse model was established by daily intradermal injection of Hypochlorite (HOCl). SSc mice were treated by single transfusion of UC-MSCs at 0.625×10 , 2.5×10 and 1×10 respectively. At the 42nd day of intradermal injection of HOCl, the symptoms showed up by skin and alveolar wall thickening, lymphocytic infiltration, increased collagen in skin/lung, and the increased proportion of CD3 CD4 CD25 FoxP3 cells (a Treg subset) in spleen. After UC-MSCs transfusion, the degree of skin thickening, alveolar wall thickening and lymphocyte infiltration were decreased, the collagen sedimentation in skin/lung was decreased, and the proportion of CD3 CD4 CD25 FoxP3 cells was decreased. UC-MSC can achieve a preventive effect in SSc mice by fibrosis attenuation and immunoregulation.