Mesenchymal stem cells lose the senescent phenotype under 3D cultivation

Abstract

Background Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture is widely used in various fields of cell biology. In comparison to conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture, 3D cell culture facilitates a more accurate replication of the in vivo microenvironment, which is essential for obtaining more relevant results. The application of 3D cell culture techniques in regenerative medicine, particularly in mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based research, has been extensively studied. Many of these studies focus on the enhanced paracrine activity of MSCs cultured in 3D environments. However, few focus on the cellular processes that occur during 3D cultivation. Methods In this work, we studied the changes occurring within 3D-cultured MSCs (3D-MSCs). Specifically, we examined the expression of numerous senescent-associated markers, the actin cytoskeleton structure, the architecture of the Golgi apparatus and the localization of mTOR, one of the main positive regulators of replicative senescence. In addition, we assessed whether the selective elimination of senescent cells occurs upon 3D culturing by using cell sorting based on autofluorescence. Results Our findings indicate that 3D-MSCs were able to lose replicative senescence markers under 3D cell culture conditions. We observed changes in actin cytoskeleton structure, Golgi apparatus architecture and revealed that 3D cultivation leads to the nuclear localization of mTOR, resulting in a decrease in its active cytoplasmic form. Additionally, our findings provide evidence that 3D cell culture promotes the phenotypic reversion of senescent cell phenotype rather than their removal from the bulk population. Conclusion These novel insights into the biology of 3D-MSCs can be applied to research in regenerative medicine to overcome replicative senescence and MSC heterogeneity as they often pose significant concerns regarding safety and effectiveness for therapeutic purposes.

Enhancing autologous Equine Therapy: Innovative 3D Culture Method for Muscle-derived Progenitor Cells (mdP-Cells)

“…The cells are nevertheless able to quickly express this protein if they need to attach to their growing support, as shown by a 24h classical culture of our cells in 2D serum based medium. This point of not passaging the cells during their ampli cation is particularly noteworthy for mitigating the risk of cell senescence observed in some conditions following multiple passages (Yang et al, 2018; Krasnova et al, 2023). Indeed, senescence is a cellular response to endogenous and exogenous stressors that can be induced by a number of stimuli, including oxidative stress, irradiation, chemicals, or replicative exhaustion.…”