title: Human neural stem cell-induced endothelial morphogenesis requires autocrine/paracrine and juxtacrine signaling.
abstract: Transplanted neural stem cells (NSC) interact with the host brain microenvironment. A neovascularization is commonly observed in the vicinity of the cell deposit, which is correlated with behavioral improvements. To elucidate the signaling mechanisms between human NSCs and endothelial cells (ECs), these were cocultured in an in vitro model in which NSC-induced endothelial morphogenesis produced a neurovascular environment. Soluble (autocrine/paracrine) and contact-mediated (juxtacrine) signaling molecules were evaluated for two conditionally immortalized fetal NSC lines derived from the cortical anlage (CTXOE03) and ganglionic eminence (STROC05), as well as an adult EC line (D3) derived from the cerebral microvasculature of a hippocampal biopsy. STROC05 were 4 times as efficient to induce endothelial morphogenesis compared to CTXOE03. The cascade of reciprocal interactions between NSCs and ECs in this process was determined by quantifying soluble factors, receptor mapping, and immunocytochemistry for extracellular matrix molecules. The mechanistic significance of these was further evaluated by pharmacological blockade. The sequential cell-specific regulation of autocrine/paracrine and juxtacrine signaling accounted for the differential efficiency of NSCs to induce endothelial morphogenesis. These in vitro studies shed new light on the reciprocal interactions between NSCs and ECs, which are pivotal for our mechanistic understanding of the efficacy of NSC transplantation.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, Department of Radiology, Department of Bioengineering, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.|Kings College London, Department of Neuroscience, London, UK.|Tri-service General Hospital, Department of Neurology, National Defense Medical Centre, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Hsing
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, Department of Radiology, Department of Bioengineering, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Modo
mesh_terms: D019898:Autocrine Communication; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply; D002450:Cell Communication; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D055806:Microvessels / Q000166:cytology; D009024:Morphogenesis; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D019899:Paracrine Communication; D015398:Signal Transduction