title: Toll-like receptor 9 ligands enhance mesenchymal stem cell invasion and expression of matrix metalloprotease-13.
abstract: Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are multipotent cells that are found in the bone marrow. Inflammation and tissue damage mobilize MSCs and induce their migration towards the damaged site through mechanisms that are not well defined. Toll-like receptor-9 (TLR9) is a cellular receptor for microbial and vertebrate DNA. Stimulation of TLR9 induces inflammatory and invasive responses in TLR9-expressing cells. We studied here the expression of TLR9 in human MSCs and the effects of synthetic TLR9-agonists on their invasion. Constitutive expression of TLR9 was detected in human MSCs but the expression was suppressed when MSCs were induced to differentiate into osteoblasts. Using standard invasion assays and a novel organotypic culture model based on human myoma tissue, we discovered that stimulation with the TLR9 agonistic, CpG oligonucleotides increased the invasion capacity of undifferentiated MSCs. Simultaneously, an increase in MMP-13 synthesis and activity was detected in the CpG-activated MSCs. Addition of anti-MMP-13 antibody significantly diminished the CpG-induced hMSC invasion. We conclude that treatment with TLR9-ligands increases MSC invasiveness, and this process is at least partially MMP-13-mediated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nurmenniemi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuvaja
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lehtonen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tiuraniemi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Alahuhta
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Mattila
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Risteli
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Salo
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Selander
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nyberg
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lehenkari
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018899:CpG Islands; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008024:Ligands; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9 / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C495371:TLR9 protein, human; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9; C507079:MMP13 protein, human; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13