Immune regulation by mesenchymal stem cells derived from adult spleen and thymus.
We show here that human and mouse mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be obtained not only from bone marrow (BM), but also from adult spleen and thymus. In vitro, both human and mouse spleen- and thymus-derived MSCs exhibit immunophenotypic characteristics and differentiation potential completely comparable to BM-MSCs. In addition, they can inhibit immune responses mediated by activated T lymphocytes with efficiency comparable to BM-MSCs. In vivo, mouse MSCs from BM, spleen, and thymus, if injected together with a genetically modified tumor cell vaccine, can equally prevent the onset of an anti-tumor memory immune response, thus leading to tumor growth in normally resistant mice. Our data suggest that not only do spleen and thymus have a stem cell reservoir to build up their stromal architecture, but also contain microenviromental immunoregulatory cells with the same properties of BM-MSCs.
Krampera
Mauro
M
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Haematology, University of Verona, Italy. mauro.krampero@univr.it
Sartoris
Silvia
S
Liotta
Francesco
F
Pasini
Annalisa
A
Angeli
Roberta
R
Cosmi
Lorenzo
L
Andreini
Angelo
A
Mosna
Federico
F
Bonetti
Bruno
B
Rebellato
Elisabetta
E
Testi
Maria Grazia
MG
Frosali
Francesca
F
Pizzolo
Giovanni
G
Tridente
Giuseppe
G
Maggi
Enrico
E
Romagnani
Sergio
S
Annunziato
Francesco
F
D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects
D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase; D007371:Interferon-gamma