title: Foetal bovine serum-derived exosomes affect yield and phenotype of human cardiac progenitor cell culture.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) represent a powerful tool in cardiac regenerative medicine. Pre-clinical studies suggest that most of the beneficial effects promoted by the injected cells are due to their paracrine activity exerted on endogenous cells and tissue. Exosomes are candidate mediators of this paracrine effects. According to their potential, many researchers have focused on characterizing exosomes derived from specific cell types, but, up until now, only few studies have analyzed the possible in vitro effects of bovine serum-derived exosomes on cell proliferation or differentiation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aim of this study was to analyse, from a qualitative and quantitative point of view, the in vitro effects of bovine serum exosomes on human CPCs cultured either as cardiospheres or as monolayers of cardiosphere-forming cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Effects on proliferation, yield and molecular patterning were detected. We show, for the first time, that exogenous bovine exosomes support the proliferation and migration of human cardiosphere-forming cells, and that their depletion affects cardiospheres formation, in terms of size, yield and extra-cellular matrix production.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results stress the importance of considering differential biological effects of exogenous cell culture supplements on the final phenotype of primary human cell cultures.
authors.affiliation: Pasteur Institute - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angelini
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ionta
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiocirculatory Pathophysiology, Anesthesiology and General Surgery, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Miraldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giacomello
keywords: Cardiac progenitor cells; Extra-cellular matrix; FBS-derived exosomes; Proliferation