NFĸB Targeting in Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Mediated Support of Age-Linked Hematological Malignancies.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can become dysfunctional in patients with hematological disorders. An unanswered question is whether age-linked disruption of the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment is secondary to hematological dysfunction or vice versa. We therefore studied MSC function in patients with different hematological disorders and found decreased MHC-II except from one sample with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The patients' MSCs were able to exert veto properties except for AML MSCs. While the expression of MHC-II appeared to be irrelevant to the immune licensing of MSCs, AML MSCs lost their ability to differentiate upon contact and rather, continued to proliferate, forming foci-like structures. We performed a retrospective study that indicated a significant increase in MSCs, based on phenotype, for patients with BM fibrosis. This suggests a role for MSCs in patients transitioning to leukemia. NFĸB was important to MSC function and was shown to be a potential target to sensitize leukemic CD34+/CD38- cells to azacitidine. This correlated with their lack of allogeneic stimulation. This study identified NFĸB as a potential target for combination therapy to treat leukemia stem cells and showed that understanding MSC biology and immune response could be key in determining how the aging BM might support leukemia. More importantly, we show how MSCs might be involved in transitioning the high risk patient with hematological disorder to AML.

Facile preparation of tissue engineering scaffolds with pore size gradients using the muesli effect and their application to cell spheroid encapsulation.

Porous biodegradable scaffolds have many applications in bioengineering, ranging from cell culture and transplantation, to support structures, to induce blood vessel and tissue formation in vivo. While numerous strategies have been developed for the manufacture of porous scaffolds, it remains challenging to control the spatial organization of the pores. In this study, we introduce the use of the granular convection effect, also known as the muesli or brazil nut effect, to rapidly engineer particulate templates with a vertical size gradient. These templates can then be used to prepare scaffolds with pore size gradients. To demonstrate this approach, we prepared templates with particle size gradients, which were then infused with a prepolymer solution consisting of the pentaerythritol ethoxylate (polyol), sebacoyl chloride (acid chloride), and poly(caprolactone). Following curing, the template was dissolved to yield biodegradable polyester-ether scaffolds with pore size gradients that could be tuned depending on the size range of the particulates used. The application of these scaffolds was demonstrated using pancreatic islets, which were loaded via centrifugation and retained within the scaffold's pores without a decrease in viability. The proposed strategy provides a facile approach to prepare templates with spatially organized pores that could potentially be used for cell transplantation, or guided tissue formation.

Gene therapy to improve pancreatic islet transplantation for Type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Pancreatic islet transplantation is a promising treatment option for Type 1 Diabetics, offering improved glycaemic control through restoration of insulin production and freedom from life-threatening hypoglycaemic episodes. Implementation of the Edmonton protocol in 2000, a glucocorticoid-free immunosuppressive regimen has led to improved islet transplantation success. >50% of islets are lost post-transplantation primarily through cytokine-mediated apoptosis, ischemia and hypoxia. Gene therapy presents a novel strategy to modify islets for improved survival post-transplantation. Current islet gene therapy approaches aim to improve islet function, block apoptosis and inhibit rejection. Gene transfer vectors include adenoviral, adeno-associated virus, herpes simplex virus vectors, retroviral vectors (including lentiviral vectors) and non-viral vectors. Adeno-associated virus is currently the best islet gene therapy vector, due to the vectors minimal immunogenicity and high safety profile. In animal models, using viral vectors to deliver genes conferring local immunoregulation, anti-apoptotic genes or angiogenic genes to islets can significantly improve islet survival in the early post-transplant period and influence long term engraftment. With recent improvements in gene delivery and increased understanding of the mechanisms underlying graft failure, gene therapy for islet transplantation has the potential to move closer to the clinic as a treatment for patients with Type 1 Diabetes.

IFN-gamma generates maturation-arrested dendritic cells that induce T cell hyporesponsiveness independent of Foxp3+ T-regulatory cell generation.

Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is a proinflammatory cytokine that induces the proliferation of T-helper 1 cells that contribute to allograft rejection. Surprisingly, allografts transplanted in IFN-gamma deficient mice are rapidly rejected, suggesting that this cytokine has a paradoxical role in regulating alloimmune responses. Since dendritic cells (DC) play an essential role in initiating allograft rejection the effect of IFN-gamma on DC differentiation, maturation and function in vitro were investigated. DC were differentiated with IL4/GMCSF and treated with IFN-gamma at day 0 (IFN-gamma-DC(0)) or day 5 (IFN-gamma-DC(5)) during maturation and compared with untreated DC (UT-DC). Flow cytometric analysis of IFN-gamma-DC(0) demonstrated a downregulation in the DC maturation marker CD83 by 90% whereas the expression of the inhibitory molecules ILT2, ILT3 and ILT4 were upregulated. Inhibition of relB mRNA expression (79%; p=0.01) and IL-12 (97%; p=0.02) compared to UT-DC further confirmed that IFN-gamma-DC(0) were 'maturation-arrested'. Moreover, IFN-gamma-DC(0) inhibited allogeneic T cell proliferation by 33% (p=0.02) compared to UT-DC. However, induction of T cell hyporesponsiveness by IFN-gamma-DC(0) was not regulated by the generation of CD4(+)Foxp3(+) T cells nor due to IFN-gamma induced inhibitory molecules, HLA-G and IDO. In contrast, IFN-gamma-DC(5) expressed higher levels of costimulatory molecules and MHC class II compared to UT-DC and did not cause T cell hyporesponsiveness. Thus, the timing of IFN-gamma treatment of monocytes prior to their differentiation to DC is critical for generating DC that regulate T cell function. IFN-gamma may therefore play a regulatory role in alloimmunity by acting on DC precursors.