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Characterisation of mesenchymal stem cells from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  1. Nicole Matejckova1,2,
  2. Alena Zajicova1,
  3. Barbora Hermankova1,2,
  4. Jan Kossl1,2,
  5. Pavla Bohacova1,2,
  6. Vladimir Holan1,2,
  7. Eliska Javorkova1,2
  1. 1 Department of Transplantation Immunology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
  2. 2 Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
  1. Correspondence to Dr Eliska Javorkova, Department of Transplantation Immunology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 4, Czech Republic; javorkova{at}biomed.cas.cz

Abstract

Aims Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have recently been tested in clinical trials to treat severe diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Since autologous MSCs are frequently used for therapy, we aimed to evaluate the possible influence of the disease on characteristics and function of these cells.

Methods MSCs were isolated from the bone marrow of patients with ALS and compared with MSCs from healthy controls (HC). The cells were tested for phenotype, growth properties, differentiation ability, metabolic activity, secretory potential, expression of genes for immunomodulatory molecules and for the ability to regulate proliferation of mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood leucocytes. MSCs from patients with ALS and HC were either unstimulated or treated with proinflammatory cytokines for 24 hours before testing.

Results MSCs isolated from patients with ALS have a higher differentiation potential into adipocytes, express elevated levels of mRNA for interleukin-6, but produce less hepatocyte growth factor than MSCs from HC. On the other hand, there were no significant differences between MSCs from patients with ALS and HC in the expression of phenotypic markers, growth properties, metabolic activity, osteogenic differentiation potential and immunoregulatory properties.

Conclusions The results suggest that, in spite of some differences in cytokine production, MSCs from patients with ALS can be useful as autologous cells in therapy of ALS.

  • stem cell transplants
  • immunopathology
  • neurodegeneration

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Footnotes

  • Handling editor Tahir S Pillay.

  • Contributors NM, VH and EJ designed the experiments and wrote the manuscript. NM, AZ, BH, JK and PB performed the experiments. NM analysed the data.

  • Funding This research was funded by Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0109, CZ.2.16/3.1.00/21528, NPUI: LO1309, NPUI: LO1508, SVV 244-260435) and Charles University (UNCE204013).

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient consent Obtained.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.