Cell contact, prostaglandin E₂ and transforming growth factor beta 1 play non-redundant roles in human mesenchymal stem cell induction of CD4⁺CD25Highforkhead box P3⁺ regulatory T cells

Adult human mesenchymal stromal or stem cells (MSC) can differentiate into a variety of cell types and are candidate cellular therapeutics in regenerative medicine. Surprisingly, these cells also display multiple potent immunomodulatory capabilities, including allosuppression, making allogeneic cell therapy a possibility. The exact mechanisms involved in regulatory T cell induction by allogeneic human MSC was examined, using purified CD4⁺ populations and well-characterized bone marrow-derived adult human MSC. Allogeneic MSC were shown to induce forkhead box P3 (FoxP3)⁺ and CD25⁺ mRNA and protein expression in CD4⁺ T cells. This phenomenon required direct contact between MSC and purified T cells, although cell contact was not required for MSC induction of FoxP3 expression in an unseparated mononuclear cell population. In addition, through use of antagonists and neutralizing antibodies, MSC-derived prostaglandins and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 were shown to have a non-redundant role in the induction of CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ T cells. Purified CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells induced by MSC co-culture expressed TGF-β1 and were able to suppress alloantigen-driven proliferative responses in mixed lymphocyte reaction. These data clarify the mechanisms of human MSC-mediated allosuppression, supporting a sequential process of regulatory T cell induction involving direct MSC contact with CD4⁺ cells followed by both prostaglandin E₂ and TGF-β1 expression. Overall, this study provides a rational basis for ongoing clinical studies involving allogeneic MSC.