In vitro functional comparison of therapeutically relevant human vasculogenic progenitor cells used for cardiac cell therapy.
OBJECTIVE
In cardiac cell therapy almost every cell type tested experimentally has yielded some benefit. However, there is a lack of studies directly comparing the function of various stem/progenitor cell populations. This study describes the expansion of peripheral blood CD133(+) cells and compares their functional properties with those of other commonly used human progenitor cell populations.


METHODS
CD133(+) cells were generated from the CD133(-) fraction of peripheral blood, either serially (pooled-derived) or after 14 days of culture (derived). Their phenotypic, migratory, and vasculogenic properties were compared with those of 4 commonly used progenitor cell populations in vitro.


RESULTS
Serial expansion resulted in an 11-fold increase in the number of CD133(+) cells. The proportion of derived CD133(+) cells collected between 0 and 8 days also expressing CD34 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 was similar (approximately 60%, P = .41). Adherent, 4-day cultured endothelial progenitor cells demonstrated enhanced migration compared with each of the other 5 cell populations (all P < or = .002). The migration of derived CD133(+) progenitors was enhanced by coculture with CD133(-) cells or their supernatant (P < .05). In vitro vasculogenesis assays revealed that derived and pooled-derived CD133(+) cells had superior vasculogenic potential compared with other progenitor populations (P < or = .03).


CONCLUSIONS
A novel source of expandable CD133(+) cells can be generated from the CD133(-) fraction of peripheral blood. The CD133 phenotypic marker translates into the cell being vasculogenically more potent in vitro, which could be beneficial to inducing vasculogenesis in the ischemic heart. Furthermore, intercellular interactions appear important for improving the therapeutic efficacy of cell transplantation.
Zhang
Yan
Y
Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Wong
Serena
S
Laflèche
Jessica
J
Crowe
Suzanne
S
Mesana
Thierry G
TG
Suuronen
Erik J
EJ
Ruel
Marc
M
D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002450:Cell Communication; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; D010641:Phenotype; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000378:metabolism
D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016207:Cytokines; D006023:Glycoproteins; C000606023:PROM1 protein, human; D010455:Peptides; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2