Recent studies have shown that Helicobacter pylori has a special role in tropism of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) towards gastric tissues. This study aimed to find the effects of H. pylori on human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hA-MSCs) transforming toward cancer cells and also metastasis of tumor cells by synergic effects of H. pylori and gastric epithelial cells (AGS) on MSCs. The expressions of p53, bcl-2, MMP-2, and MMP-9 were examined in hA-MSCs by qRT-PCR technique. Our results demonstrated that H. pylori tries to improve the hA-MSCs carcinogenic activities by overexpression of bcl2 gene as an anti-apoptosis agent against the p53 gene expression as main apoptosis agent. In addition, it showed that H. pylori effects in metastatic activities of hA-MSCs by upregulation of related genes in this process. Perhaps, when hA-MSCs are attracted toward H. pylori chronic or ulcer infected tissues for their tissue healing function, they will be trapped under special gastric microenvironment. We demonstrated the direct and synergic effects of H. pylori in hA-MSCs through alteration of related genes involved in carcinogenesis processes. Hence, understanding of H. pylori-induced molecular pathogenesis could be a powerful strategy not only in identifying the origin and initiation of gastric cancer but also in the treatment of related disease and modification of stem cell therapy methods in the future.
Keywords: Gastric cancer; H. pylori; Mesenchymal stem cells; Metastasis.