Directional migration of mesenchymal stem cells under an SDF-1α gradient on a microfluidic device

PLoS One. 2017 Sep 8;12(9):e0184595. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184595. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Homing of peripheral stem cells is regulated by one of the most representative homing factors, stromal cell-derived factor 1 alpha (SDF-1α), which specifically binds to the plasma membrane receptor CXCR4 of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in order to initiate the signaling pathways that lead to directional migration and homing of stem cells. This complex homing process and directional migration of stem cells have been mimicked on a microfluidic device that is capable of generating a chemokine gradient within the collagen matrix and embedding endothelial cell (EC) monolayers to mimic blood vessels. On the microfluidic device, stem cells showed directional migration toward the higher concentration of SDF-1α, whereas treatment with the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 caused loss of directionality of stem cells. Furthermore, inhibition of stem cell's main migratory signaling pathways, Rho-ROCK and Rac pathways, caused blockage of actomyosin and lamellipodia formation, decreasing the migration distance but maintaining directionality. Stem cell homing regulated by SDF-1α caused directional migration of stem cells, while the migratory ability was affected by the activation of migration-related signaling pathways.

MeSH terms

  • Amides / pharmacology
  • Aminoquinolines / pharmacology
  • Benzylamines
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Chemokine CXCL12 / chemistry*
  • Cyclams
  • Heterocyclic Compounds / pharmacology
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lab-On-A-Chip Devices*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / drug effects
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Pyridines / pharmacology
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Amides
  • Aminoquinolines
  • Benzylamines
  • Chemokine CXCL12
  • Cyclams
  • Heterocyclic Compounds
  • NSC 23766
  • Pyridines
  • Pyrimidines
  • Y 27632
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins
  • plerixafor

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea grant funded by the Korean government (NRF-2014R1A2A1A11051879), (http://www.nrf.re.kr/index) and a Korea University Grant. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.