RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Cellular therapies for immunomodulation in vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) have gained importance due to their potential for minimization of immunosuppression. Adipose-derived (AD) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) especially have shown encouraging potential. We investigated the influence of timing and frequency of AD-MSC treatment on immunologic and graft survival as well as graft vasculopathy outcomes after VCA. METHODS: Lewis rats received full-mismatched Brown Norway rat hindlimb transplants. Recipient animals were assigned to groups receiving donor-derived AD-MSCs (10 cells/animal) either on postoperative day (POD) 1, POD 4, or repeatedly on POD 4, 8, and 15, and compared to untreated controls. RESULTS: Although AD-MSC administration on POD 1 or POD 4, 8, and 15 resulted in 50% long-term graft acceptance, recipients treated on POD 4, and controls rejected before POD 50. All treated animals revealed peripheral blood chimerism (4 weeks), most pronounced after repetitive cell administration (12.92% vs 5.03% [POD 1] vs 6.31% [POD 4]; P < 0.05; all P < 0.01 vs control 1.45%). Chimerism was associated with the generation of regulatory T cells (CD4CD25FoxP3). In vitro mixed lymphocyte reactions revealed modulation of the recipient immune response after AD-MSC treatment. Graft arteries at end point revealed significant differences of arterial intimal thickness between rejecting and AD-MSC-treated animals (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results point to the potential for repetitive AD-MSC administration in improving outcomes after VCA. Future studies are warranted into optimization of the dosing and frequency of AD-MSC therapy, either alone or used in, combination with other cell therapies (such as hematopoietic stem cells or bone marrow-derived MSC or dendritic cells) for optimization of appropriate conditioning or maintenance regimens.
Assuntos
Tecido Adiposo/citologia , Aloenxertos Compostos/irrigação sanguínea , Aloenxertos Compostos/transplante , Sobrevivência de Enxerto , Membro Posterior/irrigação sanguínea , Membro Posterior/transplante , Imunoterapia/métodos , Transplante de Células-Tronco Mesenquimais/métodos , Células-Tronco Mesenquimais/imunologia , Alotransplante de Tecidos Compostos Vascularizados/métodos , Animais , Proliferação de Células , Células Cultivadas , Aloenxertos Compostos/imunologia , Rejeição de Enxerto/imunologia , Rejeição de Enxerto/prevenção & controle , Membro Posterior/imunologia , Imunoterapia/efeitos adversos , Ativação Linfocitária , Masculino , Transplante de Células-Tronco Mesenquimais/efeitos adversos , Modelos Animais , Ratos Endogâmicos BN , Ratos Endogâmicos Lew , Linfócitos T Reguladores/imunologia , Fatores de Tempo , Quimeras de Transplante , Tolerância ao Transplante , Doenças Vasculares/imunologia , Doenças Vasculares/prevenção & controle , Alotransplante de Tecidos Compostos Vascularizados/efeitos adversosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The development of safe and reliable protocols for the transplantation of the face and hands may be accomplished with animal modeling of transplantation of vascularized composite allografts (VCA). Previously, we demonstrated that tolerance to a VCA could be achieved after canine recipients were simultaneously given marrow from a dog leukocyte antigen-identical donor. In the present study, we extend those findings across a dog leukocyte antigen mismatched barrier. METHODS: Eight recipient dogs received total body irradiation (4.5 cGy), hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), either marrow (n = 4) or granulocyte-colony stimulating factor mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (n = 4), and a VCA transplant from the HCT donor. Post grafting immunosuppression consisted of mycophenolate mofetil (28 days) and cyclosporine (35 days). RESULTS: In 4 dogs receiving bone marrow, 1 accepted both its marrow transplant and demonstrated long-term tolerance to the donor VCA (>52 weeks). Three dogs rejected both their marrow transplants and VCA at 5 to 7 weeks posttransplant. Dogs receiving mobilized stem cells all accepted their stem cell transplant and became tolerant to the VCA. However, 3 dogs developed graft-versus-host disease, whereas 1 dog rejected its stem cell graft by week 15 but exhibited long-term tolerance toward its VCA (>90 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that simultaneous transplantation of mobilized stem cells and a VCA is feasible and leads to tolerance toward the VCA in a haploidentical setting. However, there is a higher rate of donor stem cell engraftment compared with marrow HCT and an increase in the incidence of graft-versus-host disease.