Interleukin-3 greatly expands non-adherent endothelial forming cells with pro-angiogenic properties.

Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) provide revascularisation for cardiovascular disease and the expansion of these cells opens up the possibility of their use as a cell therapy. Herein we show that interleukin-3 (IL3) strongly expands a population of human non-adherent endothelial forming cells (EXnaEFCs) with low immunogenicity as well as pro-angiogenic capabilities in vivo, making their therapeutic utilisation a realistic option. Non-adherent CD133(+) EFCs isolated from human umbilical cord blood and cultured under different conditions were maximally expanded by day 12 in the presence of IL3 at which time a 350-fold increase in cell number was obtained. Cell surface marker phenotyping confirmed expression of the hematopoietic progenitor cell markers CD133, CD117 and CD34, vascular cell markers VEGFR2 and CD31, dim expression of CD45 and absence of myeloid markers CD14 and CD11b. Functional experiments revealed that EXnaEFCs exhibited classical properties of endothelial cells (ECs), namely binding of Ulex europaeus lectin, up-take of acetylated-low density lipoprotein and contribution to EC tube formation in vitro. These EXnaEFCs demonstrated a pro-angiogenic phenotype within two independent in vivo rodent models. Firstly, a Matrigel plug assay showed increased vascularisation in mice. Secondly, a rat model of acute myocardial infarction demonstrated reduced heart damage as determined by lower levels of serum creatinine and a modest increase in heart functionality. Taken together, these studies show IL3 as a potent growth factor for human CD133(+) cell expansion with clear pro-angiogenic properties (in vitro and in vivo) and thus may provide clinical utility for humans in the future.

Incremental benefits of repeated mesenchymal stromal cell administration compared with solitary intervention after myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Traditionally, stem cell therapy for myocardial infarction (MI) has been administered as a single treatment in the acute or subacute period after MI. These time intervals coincide with marked differences in the post-infarct myocardial environment, raising the prospect that repeat cell dosing could provide incremental benefit beyond a solitary intervention. This prospect was evaluated with the use of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). METHODS: Three groups of rats were studied. Single-therapy and dual-therapy groups received allogeneic, prospectively isolated MSCs (1 × 10(6) cells) by trans-epicardial injection immediately after MI, with additional dosing 1 week later in the dual-therapy cohort. Control animals received cryopreservant solution only. Left ventricular (LV) dimensions and ejection fraction (EF) were assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance immediately before MI and at 1, 2 and 4 weeks after MI. RESULTS: Immediate MSC treatment attenuated early myocardial damage with EF of 35.3 ± 3.1% (dual group, n = 12) and 35.2 ± 2.2% (single group, n = 15) at 1 week after MI compared with 22.1 ± 1.9% in controls (n = 17, P < 0.01). In animals receiving a second dose of MSCs, EF increased to 40.7 ± 3.1% by week 4, which was significantly higher than in the single-therapy group (EF 35.9 ± 1.8%, P < 0.05). Dual MSC treatment was also associated with greater myocardial mass and arteriolar density, with trends toward reduced myocardial fibrosis. These incremental benefits were especially observed in remote (non-infarct) segments of LV myocardium. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated stem cell intervention in both the acute and the sub-acute period after MI provides additional improvement in ventricular function beyond solitary cell dosing, largely owing to beneficial changes remote to the area of infarction.

Impact of timing and dose of mesenchymal stromal cell therapy in a preclinical model of acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Although mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) have shown therapeutic promise after myocardial infarction (MI), the impact of cell dose and timing of intervention remains uncertain. We compared immediate and deferred administration of 2 doses of MSC in a rat model of MI. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Allogeneic prospectively isolated MSC ("low" dose 1 × 10(6) or "high" dose 2 × 10(6) cells) were delivered by transepicardial injection immediately after MI ("early-low," "early-high"), or 1 week later ("late-low," "late-high"). Control subjects received cryopreservant solution alone. Left ventricular dimensions and ejection fraction (EF) were assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance. All 4 MSC-treatment cohorts demonstrated higher EF than control animals 4 weeks after MI (P values <.01 to <.0001), with function most preserved in the early-high group (absolute reduction in EF from baseline: control 39.1 ± 1.7%, early-low 26.5 ± 3.2%, early-high 7.9 ± 2.6%, late-low 19.6 ± 3.5%, late-high 17.9 ± 4.0%). Cell treatment also attenuated left ventricular dilatation and fibrosis and augmented left ventricular mass, systolic wall thickening (SWT), and microvascular density. Although early intervention selectively increased SWT and vascular density in the infarct territory, delayed treatment caused greater benefit in remote (noninfarct) myocardium. All outcomes demonstrated dose dependence for early MSC treatment, but not for later cell administration. CONCLUSIONS: The nature and magnitude of benefit from MSC after acute MI is strongly influenced by timing of cell delivery, with dose dependence most evident for early intervention. These novel insights have potential implications for cell therapy after MI in human patients.