Human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells induce functional CD4+CD25+FoxP3+CD127- regulatory T cells under low oxygen culture conditions

Stem Cells Dev. 2014 May 1;23(9):968-77. doi: 10.1089/scd.2013.0152. Epub 2014 Mar 11.

Abstract

Human adipose tissue stromal/stem cells (ASCs) are known to induce proliferation of resting T cells under ambient (21%) O2 conditions; however, ASCs exist physiologically under lower oxygen (5% O2) conditions in adipose tissue. The effects of low oxygen levels on ASC immunomodulation of T cells are unknown. In this study, we show that ASCs stimulated proliferation of naive CD4(+) T cells and the percentage of CD25(+) T cells was significantly increased under both low and ambient O2. Forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) mRNA expression were significantly increased when ASCs were cocultured with CD4(+) T cells under low compared with ambient O2 conditions. The low O2-induced regulatory T cells (iTregs) exhibited functionality when added to mixed lymphocyte reactions as demonstrated by inhibition of peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation, and by >300-fold increase in FoxP3 mRNA, and >2-fold increase in TGF-β mRNA expression. These results demonstrate that under physiologically relevant low O2 conditions, direct contact of human ASCs with naive CD4(+) T cells induced functional iTregs.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / cytology
  • Adipose Tissue / immunology*
  • Adult
  • CD4 Antigens / immunology
  • Cell Hypoxia / immunology
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Female
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / immunology
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / immunology
  • Interleukin-7 Receptor alpha Subunit / immunology
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / cytology
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / cytology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*

Substances

  • CD4 Antigens
  • FOXP3 protein, human
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit
  • Interleukin-7 Receptor alpha Subunit