AUTHOR=Xiao Chongjun , Lu Di , Chen Jinshuo , Chen Xiaoyan , Lin Huizhu , Huang Mudan , Cheng Shimei , Wang Yuge , Liu Qiuli , Zheng Haiqing 

TITLE=Human Olfactory Mesenchymal Stem Cells Are a Novel Candidate for Neurological Autoimmune Disease

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.770884

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2021.770884

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Human olfactory mesenchymal stem cells (OMSC) have become a novel therapeutic option for immune disorder or demyelinating disease due to their immunomodulatory and regenerative potentials. However, the immunomodulatory effects of OMSC still need to be elucidated, and comparisons of the effects of different MSCs are also required in order to select an optimal cell source for further applications.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> In animal experiments, we found neural functional recovery and delayed EAE attack in the OMSC treatment group. Compared with umbilical cord–derived mesenchymal stem cells (UMSC) treatment group and the control group, the OMSC treatment group had a better neurological improvement, lower serum levels of IFN-γ, and a lower proportion of CD4+IFN-γ+ T splenic lymphocyte. We also observed OMSC effectively suppressed CD4+IFN-γ+ T cell proportion <italic>in vitro</italic> when co-cultured with human peripheral blood–derived lymphocytes. The OMSC-mediated immunosuppressive effect on human CD4+IFN-γ+ T cells was attenuated by blocking cyclooxygenase activity.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Our results suggest that OMSC treatment delayed the onset and promoted the neural functional recovery in the EAE mouse model possibly by suppressing CD4+IFN-γ+ T cells. OMSC transplantation might become an alternative therapeutic option for neurological autoimmune disease.</p>