Abstract
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) presents with dermal inflammation and fibrosis. We investigated the characteristics of extracellular vesicles (EVs) obtained from cGVHD patients, and their potential effects on human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cells. The anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects of placental EVs were also explored given their known anti-inflammatory properties. Fourteen cGVHD patients’ EVs contained higher levels of fibrosis-related proteins, TGFβ and α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA), compared to EVs from thirteen healthy subjects. The exposure of NHDF cells to the patients’ EVs increased the NHDF cells’ TGFβ and αSMA expressions. Placental EVs derived from placental-expanded cells (PLX) (Pluri Inc.) and human villous trophoblast (HVT) cells expressing the mesenchymal markers CD29, CD73, and CD105, penetrated into both the epidermal keratinocytes (HACATs) and NHDF cells. Stimulation of the HACAT cells with cytokine TNFα/INFγ (0.01–0.1 ng/µL) reduced cell proliferation, while the addition of placental EVs attenuated this effect, increasing and normalizing cell proliferation. The treatment of NHDF cells with a combination of TGFβ and placental HVT EVs reduced the stimulatory effects of TGFβ on αSMA production by over 40% (p = 0.0286). In summary, EVs from patients with cGVHD can serve as a biomarker for the cGVHD state. Placental EVs may be used to regulate dermal inflammation and fibrosis, warranting further investigation of their therapeutic potential.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 8126 |
Journal | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 May 2023 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2023 by the authors.
Funding
This research was funded by the Israel Ministry of Health, Estates Fund, grant number 20200575, with matching funding from Pluri Inc.
Funders | Funder number |
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Israel Ministry of Health, Estates Fund | 20200575 |
Pluri Inc. |
Keywords
- chronic graft-versus-host diseases (cGVHD)
- extracellular vesicles (EVs)
- fibrosis
- inflammation
- placenta