Introduction: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely studied due to their self- renewal potential and capacity to differentiate into multiple tissues. However, they have a limited life span of several divisions in vitro, which alters various cellular characteristics and reduces their application. Aim: We evaluated the effect of platelet-derived microparticles on gene expression of hTERT, one of the main factors involved in aging and cell longevity. Materials and methods: Umbilical cord MSCs were used for this study. Cells were characterized by evaluating morphology via inverted microscope and identifying associated surface markers using flow cytometry. Platelet-derived microparticles were prepared by centrifuging platelet bags at varying speeds, and their concen- trations were determined by Bradford assay. At 30% confluency, MSCs were treated with 50 μg/mL of microparticles for five days. Then, RNA was extracted and cDNA was synthesized. Quantitative expression of hTERT was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Fibroblast-like cells were isolated from umbilical cord tissue and MSCs were identified by the presence of mesenchymal surface markers via flow cytometry. Real- time PCR showed that gene expression of hTERT increased by more than three times when treated with platelet-derived microparticles, in comparison to expression of the control group. Conclusion: We concluded that platelet-derived microparticles may be a potentially safe and effective method to increase hTERT gene expression in MSCs, ultimately prolonging their life span in vitro.
Background: Due to their self-renewal and differentiation ability, the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been studied extensively. However, the MSCs lifespan is restricted; they undergo several divisions in vitro that cause several alternations in cellular features and relatively lessens their application. Thus, this study was aimed to assess the effect of platelet-derived microparticles (PMPs), a valuable source of proteins, microRNAs (miRNAs), and growth factors, on the expression of hTERT, c-MYC, p16, p53, and p21 as the most important aging and cell longevity genes alongside with population doubling time (PDT) of PMP-treated cells in comparison to a control group. Methods: Umbilical cord MSCs (UC-MSCs) were used in this study, whereby they reached a confluency of 30%. MSCs were treated by PMPs (50 µg/mL), and then, PDT was determined for both groups. Quantitative expression of hTERT, c-MYC, p16, p53, and p21 was examined through quantitative real-time PCR at various intervals (i.e. after five and thirty days as well as freezing-thawing process). Results: Our results demonstrated that the treated group had a shorter PDT in comparison to the control group (P<0.050). The real-Time PCR data also indicated that PMPs were able to remarkably up-regulate hTERT and c-MYC genes expression while down-regulating the expression of p16, p21, and p53 genes (P<0.050), especially following five days of treatment. Conclusion: According to these data, it appears that PMPs are a safe and effective candidate for prolonging the lifespan of UC-MSCs; however, further investigations are needed to corroborate this finding.
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