This study was undertaken to evaluate whether exosomes from human adipose-derived stem cells (ASC-exo) can stimulate the regeneration of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). Immunoblotting and FACS analyses showed that ASC-exo was positive for exosome markers. Fluorescence tracking revealed that the contents of ASCexo were transferred into the HDFs. ASC-exo treatment also stimulated the proliferation and migration of HDFs in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, the expression levels of genes involved in skin cell proliferation were increased by ASC-exo. Microarray analysis showed an enrichment of microRNAs that have regenerative function. We suggest that the ASC-exo can stimulate skin cell proliferation.
| BACKGROUNDIt has been well reported that adipose tissue-derived stem cell (ASC) secretes various soluble factors, that is growth factors, cytokines, exosomes that can rescue damaged cells.[1] Exosome, a 30-to 150-nm-sized extracellular vesicle that is secreted from most cell types, is formed within endosomal compartments and released into the extracellular milieu.[2] It has been demonstrated that exosomes possess similar functional properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from which they are derived, [3] and due to such functions, exosomes are regarded now as a communicator between tissues.[4] Functionally, exosomes can reduce the immune recognition, so that the integrity of cell membrane can be maintained. [5] A study of stem cell transplantation therapy demonstrated that the role of MSCs in cell-tocell communication was exerted through a paracrine mechanism and that exosomes play a major role in this process.[6] Other findings also described that the conditioned media of ASC (ASC-CM) [7] or exosomes [8] were able to promote the migration of dermal fibroblasts during the process of wound healing. [7] Although the mechanism of the exosomes' role on proliferation and migration of fibroblasts was demonstrated, [8] no study has been conducted to identify the expressional changes of microRNAs, which play major role in various cellular responses, including proliferation.
| QUESTIONS ADDRESSEDWe asked whether ASC-derived exosomes can stimulate the skin dermal fibroblasts' proliferation and migration, and by what mechanism these exosomes play such functions.
| EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNSee supplementary information.
| RESULTSTransmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) showed that ASC-exo isolated from the supernatants (Fig. S1A). Western blot analysis revealed that ASC-exo expresses exosome markers HSP70, CD63and CD9 (Fig. S1B), while these markers were absent in ASC lysate.Flow cytometry analysis also showed that ASC-exos were positive for CD9, CD63 and CD81 (Fig. S1C). We next asked whether the contents of ASC-exos could be transmitted to HDFs. After co-incubation, for 24 hours, of PKH26-labelled ASC-exos with HDFs, it was found that red fluorescence of PKH26 was localized within the cytoplasm of HDFs (Fig. S1D), showing that ASC-exo can be internalized intoHDFs. Also, quantitati...