Strategies for the hypothermic preservation of cell sheets of human adipose stem cells

PLoS One. 2019 Oct 15;14(10):e0222597. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222597. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Cell Sheet (CS) Engineering is a regenerative medicine strategy proposed for the treatment of injured or diseased organs and tissues. In fact, several clinical trials are underway using CS-based methodologies. However, the clinical application of such cell-based methodologies poses several challenges related with the preservation of CS structure and function from the fabrication site to the bedside. Pausing cells at hypothermic temperatures has been suggested as a valuable method for short-term cell preservation. In this study, we tested the efficiency of two preservation strategies, one using culture medium supplementation with Rokepie and the other using the preservation solution Hypothermosol, in preserving human adipose stromal/stem cells (hASC) CS-like confluent cultures at 4°C, during 3 and 7 days. Both preservation strategies demonstrated excellent ability to preserve cell function during the first 3 days in hypothermia, as demonstrated by metabolic activity results and assessment of extracellular matrix integrity and differentiation potential. At the end of the 7th day of hypothermic incubation, the decrease in cell metabolic activity was more evident for all conditions. Nonetheless, hASC incubated with Rokepie and Hypothermosol retained a higher metabolic activity and extracellular matrix integrity in comparison with unsupplemented cells. Differentiation results for the later time point showed that supplementation with both Rokepie and Hypothermosol rescued adipogenic differentiation potential but only Rokepie was able to preserve hASC osteogenic potential.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipocytes / cytology
  • Adipocytes / drug effects
  • Adipocytes / metabolism
  • Adipose Tissue / cytology*
  • Adipose Tissue / metabolism
  • Adipose Tissue / surgery
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy
  • Extracellular Matrix / drug effects
  • Extracellular Matrix / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Organ Preservation Solutions / pharmacology*
  • Osteoblasts / cytology
  • Osteoblasts / drug effects
  • Osteoblasts / metabolism
  • Refrigeration / methods
  • Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Stem Cells / drug effects
  • Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Stromal Cells / cytology*
  • Stromal Cells / drug effects
  • Stromal Cells / metabolism
  • Tissue Culture Techniques / methods*
  • Tissue Preservation / methods*

Substances

  • Organ Preservation Solutions
  • hypothermosol

Grants and funding

This work was supported by: SF-R by PhD grant PD/BD/135252/2017; AFC by contract financed by SFRH/BPD/109595/2015; MTC by NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000021 and RPP by IF/00347/2015, all supported by Fundação para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT). This work was supported by LA ICVS/3B’s project UID/Multi/50026/2013 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038), financed by FCT and Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), as well as Gene2Skin Project (H2020-TWINN-2015-692221). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.