title: Identification of an effective early signaling signature during neo-vasculogenesis in vivo by ex vivo proteomic profiling.
abstract: Therapeutic neo-vasculogenesis in vivo can be achieved by the co-transplantation of human endothelial colony-forming progenitor cells (ECFCs) with mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSPCs). The underlying mechanism is not completely understood thus hampering the development of novel stem cell therapies. We hypothesized that proteomic profiling could be used to retrieve the in vivo signaling signature during the initial phase of human neo-vasculogenesis. ECFCs and MSPCs were therefore either transplanted alone or co-transplanted subcutaneously into immune deficient mice. Early cell signaling, occurring within the first 24 hours in vivo, was analyzed using antibody microarray proteomic profiling. Vessel formation and persistence were verified in parallel transplants for up to 24 weeks. Proteomic analysis revealed significant alteration of regulatory components including caspases, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase, DNA protein kinase, human ErbB2 receptor-tyrosine kinase as well as mitogen-activated protein kinases. Caspase-4 was selected from array results as one therapeutic candidate for targeting vascular network formation in vitro as well as modulating therapeutic vasculogenesis in vivo. As a proof-of-principle, caspase-4 and general caspase-blocking led to diminished endothelial network formation in vitro and significantly decreased vasculogenesis in vivo. Proteomic profiling ex vivo thus unraveled a signaling signature which can be used for target selection to modulate neo-vasculogenesis in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Research Unit, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Rokhsareh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rohban
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reinisch
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Etchart
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schallmoser
authors.forename: Nicole A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Krisztina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szoke
authors.forename: Jan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Brinchmann
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonyadi Rad
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Strunk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D015153:Blotting, Western; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation
chemical_list: D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases