International Journal of Nanomedicine (Jan 2019)

Iron oxide nanoparticles promote the migration of mesenchymal stem cells to injury sites

  • Li X,
  • Wei Z,
  • Lv H,
  • Wu L,
  • Cui Y,
  • Yao H,
  • Li J,
  • Zhang H,
  • Yang B,
  • Jiang J

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 14
pp. 573 – 589

Abstract

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Xiuying Li,1,* Zhenhong Wei,1,* Huiying Lv,1 Liya Wu,1 Yingnan Cui,1 Hua Yao,1 Jing Li,1 Hao Zhang,2 Bai Yang,2 Jinlan Jiang1 1Scientific Research Center, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China; 2State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Developing new methods to deliver cells to the injured tissue is a critical factor in translating cell therapeutics research into clinical use; therefore, there is a need for improved cell homing capabilities. Materials and methods: In this study, we demonstrated the effects of labeling rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with fabricated polydopamine (PDA)-capped Fe3O4 (Fe3O4@PDA) superparticles employing preassembled Fe3O4 nanoparticles as the cores. Results: We found that the Fe3O4@PDA composite superparticles exhibited no adverse effects on MSC characteristics. Moreover, iron oxide nanoparticles increased the number of MSCs in the S-phase, their proliferation index and migration ability, and their secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor relative to unlabeled MSCs. Interestingly, nanoparticles not only promoted the expression of C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 but also increased the expression of the migration-related proteins c-Met and C-C motif chemokine receptor 1, which has not been reported previously. Furthermore, the MSC-loaded nanoparticles exhibited improved homing and anti-inflammatory abilities in the absence of external magnetic fields in vivo. Conclusion: These results indicated that iron oxide nanoparticles rendered MSCs more favorable for use in injury treatment with no negative effects on MSC properties, suggesting their potential clinical efficacy. Keywords: mesenchymal stem cells, migration, Fe3O4 nanoparticles, polydopamine

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