Improved cell survival and paracrine capacity of human embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells promote therapeutic potential for pulmonary arterial hypertension

Cell Transplant. 2012;21(10):2225-39. doi: 10.3727/096368912X653020. Epub 2012 Jul 5.

Abstract

Although transplantation of adult bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) holds promise in the treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the poor survival and differentiation potential of adult BM-MSCs have limited their therapeutic efficiency. Here, we compared the therapeutic efficacy of human embryonic stem cell-derived MSCs (hESC-MSCs) with adult BM-MSCs for the treatment of PAH in an animal model. One week following monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH, mice were randomly assigned to receive phosphate-buffered saline (MCT group); 3.0×10(6) human BM-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs group) or 3.0×10(6) hESC-derived MSCs (hESC-MSCs group) via tail vein injection. At 3 weeks post-transplantation, the right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), degree of RV hypertrophy, and medial wall thickening of pulmonary arteries were lower=, and pulmonary capillary density was higher in the hESC-MSC group as compared with BM-MSC and MCT groups (all p < 0.05). At 1 week post-transplantation, the number of engrafted MSCs in the lungs was found significantly higher in the hESC-MSC group than in the BM-MSC group (all p < 0.01). At 3 weeks post-transplantation, implanted BM-MSCs were undetectable whereas hESC-MSCs were not only engrafted in injured pulmonary arteries but had also undergone endothelial differentiation. In addition, protein profiling of hESC-MSC- and BM-MSC-conditioned medium revealed a differential paracrine capacity. Classification of these factors into bioprocesses revealed that secreted factors from hESC-MSCs were preferentially involved in early embryonic development and tissue differentiation, especially blood vessel morphogenesis. We concluded that improved cell survival and paracrine capacity of hESC-MSCs provide better therapeutic efficacy than BM-MSCs in the treatment for PAH.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology
  • Cell Growth Processes
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / physiology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Humans
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / metabolism
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / pathology
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / surgery*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / methods*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Mice, SCID