title: A glimpse into the interactions of cells in a microenvironment: the modulation of T cells by mesenchymal stem cells.
abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been thought to hold potential as a mode of therapy for immuno-related pathologies, particularly for autoimmune diseases. Despite their potential, the interaction between MSCs and T cells, key players in the pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases, is not yet well understood, thereby preventing further clinical progress. A major obstacle is the highly heterogeneous nature of MSCs in vitro. Unfortunately, bulk assays do not provide information with regard to cell-cell contributions that may play a critical role in the overall cellular response. To address these issues, we investigated the interaction between smaller subsets of MSCs and CD4 T cells in a microwell array. We demonstrate that MSCs appear capable of modulating the T cell proliferation rate in response to persistent cell-cell interactions, and we anticipate the use of our microwell array in the classification of subpopulations within MSCs, ultimately leading to specific therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Research Strategy and Development (IRSD), Seoul, Republic of Korea ; Department of Bionano Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jonghoon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Center for Biomaterials, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mintai P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Center for Biomaterials, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Center for Biomaterials, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea ; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kwan Hyi
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D060833:Cellular Microenvironment / Q000502:physiology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: T cell; mesenchymal stem cell; microwell array