Volume 16, Issue 1 pp. 26-35
RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Mesenchymal stem cells moderate experimental autoimmune uveitis by dynamic regulating Th17 and Breg cells response

Yajun Mu

Yajun Mu

Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China

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Wei Xu

Wei Xu

Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China

Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hexian Memorial Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

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Jue Liu

Jue Liu

Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China

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Yingwei Wang

Yingwei Wang

Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China

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Jian Chen

Corresponding Author

Jian Chen

Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China

Correspondence

Qing Zhou, Medical Doctor, Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510630, China.

Email: [email protected]

Jian Chen, Medical Doctor, Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510630, China.

Email: [email protected]

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Qing Zhou

Corresponding Author

Qing Zhou

Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China

Correspondence

Qing Zhou, Medical Doctor, Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510630, China.

Email: [email protected]

Jian Chen, Medical Doctor, Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510630, China.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 21 October 2021
Citations: 13

Yajun Mu and Wei Xu are common first authors.

Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells from mesoderm with multi potential differentiation, and are being widely studied as a promising treatment for autoimmune diseases. The main inflammatory factors of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) are T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17. Regulatory B cells (Bregs) are a newly designated B cell subgroup, which has been proved to play a key role in regulating inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer. In this regard, we establish the EAU model by injecting interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein combined with complete Freund's adjuvant into the tail vein and bilateral thighs of rats, and inject MSCs or equal volume of phosphate buffer saline intraperitoneally on the day of immunization. Dynamic changes of cell subsets and cytokine expression are tested at different time periods to explore the relationship between MSCs treatment and disease prognosis during EAU course. Our results suggest that compared with the model control group, MSCs treatment can significantly reduce the production of Th1 and Th17 cytokines during EAU, while the production of regulatory B cells (Bregs) cytokines is significantly increased. At the same time, MSCs can reduce the proportion of Th17 in lymphocytes while the proportion of Bregs is elevated, thus inhibiting the differentiation and activity of interleukin in EAU rats. All this results provide more powerful evidence for cell therapy of autoimmune uveitis.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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