Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Volume

25

Issue

17

PubMed ID

39273646

Publisher

MDPI

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

Funders

EU Cost (CA18116) / DFG Research Unit FOR 2240 / DFG SFB 1607/1 2024 (501530074) / EU Horizon 2020 Arrest Blindness / EU Restore Vision / CMMC Individual Project Funding Program / NIA (PO1 AG071463) / NEI (RO1 EY025794)

Comments

Meshko, B., Volatier, T. L., Mann, J., Kluth, M. A., Ganss, C., Frank, M. H., ... & Notara, M. (2024). Anti-inflammatory and anti-(lymph) angiogenic properties of an ABCB5+ limbal mesenchymal stem cell population. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179702

Abstract

Corneal transparency and avascularity are essential for vision. The avascular cornea transitions into the vascularized conjunctiva at the limbus. Here, we explore a limbal stromal cell sub-population that expresses ABCB5 and has mesenchymal stem cell characteristics. Human primary corneal stromal cells were enriched for ABCB5 by using FACS sorting. ABCB5+ cells expressed the MSC markers CD90, CD73, and CD105. ABCB5+ but not ABCB5− cells from the same donor displayed evidence of pluripotency with a significantly higher colony-forming efficiency and the ability of trilineage differentiation (osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic). The ABCB5+ cell secretome demonstrated lower levels of the pro-inflammatory protein MIF (macrophage migration inhibitory factor) as well as of the pro-(lymph)angiogenic growth factors VEGFA and VEGFC, which correlated with reduced proliferation of Jurkat cells co-cultured with ABCB5+ cells and decreased proliferation of blood and lymphatic endothelial cells cultured in ABCB5+ cell-conditioned media. These data support the hypothesis that ABCB5+ limbal stromal cells are a putative MSC population with potential anti-inflammatory and anti-(lymph)angiogenic effects. The therapeutic modulation of ABCB5+ limbal stromal cells may prevent cornea neovascularization and inflammation and, if transplanted to other sites in the body, provide similar protective properties to other tissues.

DOI

10.3390/ijms25179702

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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