T helper 17 (Th17) cells play an important role in multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Th17 cell differentiation from na?ve T cells can be induced in vitro by the cytokines transforming growth factor β1 and interleukin-6. However, it remains unclear whether other regulatory factors control the differentiation of Th17 cells. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising candidate for inhibiting Th17 cell differentiation and autoimmune diseases. Despite the fact that several molecules have been linked to the immunomodulatory function of MSCs, many other key MSC-secreted regulators that are involved in inhibiting Th17 cell polarization are ill-defined.
In a recent study, we demonstrated that the intraperitoneal administration of skin-derived MSCs (S-MSCs) substantially ameliorated the development of EAE in mice. We found that the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, a key mediator in the pathophysiology of MS and EAE, was capable of promoting Th17 cell differentiation. Moreover, under inflammatory conditions, we demonstrated that S-MSCs produced high amounts of soluble TNF receptor 1 (sTNFR1), which binds TNF-α and antagonizes its function. Knockdown of sTNFR1 in S-MSCs decreased their inhibitory effect on Th17 cell differentiation ex vivo and in vivo. Thus, our data identified sTNFR1 and its target TNF-α as critical regulators for Th17 cell differentiation, suggesting a previously unrecognized mechanism for MSC therapy in Th17-mediated autoimmune diseases.
A paper describing this work, entitled “Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 Released by Skin-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Is Critical for Inhibiting Th17 Cell Differentiation” was published online in Stem Cells Translational Medicine at Mar, 2016.
This research was conducted by Dr. Fang Ke under the supervision of Dr. Honglin Wang at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine/Shanghai Institute of Immunology. This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation and the 973 Program.
(by Fang Ke)
