Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Increase Human MCF7 Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation associated with OCT4 Expression and ALDH Activity

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

1 Master’s Programme in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, 10430, Indonesia.

2 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, 10430, Indonesia.

3 Molecular Biology and Proteomics Core Facilities, Indonesian Medical Education and Research Institute (IMERI), Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, 10430, Indonesia.

4 Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, 10430, Indonesia.

5 Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Indonesian Medical Education and Research Institute (IMERI), Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, 10430, Indonesia.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mesenchymal stem cells-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) on the human MCF7 breast cancer cell proliferation that have been considered to contain limited CSC population and its association with the expression of OCT4 and ALDH1 stemness markers. Methods: EVs were successfully isolated from the conditioned medium of umbilical cord MSCs using size exclusion chromatography. The isolated EV fraction was verified under a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Five and ten percent (v/v) concentration of MSC-EVs were then co-cultured with MCF7 cells. To investigate MSC-EV uptake by MCF7 cells, we performed confocal microscopy analysis. Subsequently, the proliferation of co-cultured MCF7 cells was determined using trypan blue exclusion assay, while their mRNA and protein expression of OCT4 as well as ALDH activity as the marker of stemness properties were analyzed using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western Blot, and Aldefluor™ assays, respectively. Result: MSC-EVs were detected as round-shaped, ~100 nm sized particles under TEM. We also demonstrate that MSC-EVs can be internalized by MCF7 cells. Notably, MSC-EVs of 5% concentration increased OCT4 mRNA expression and ALDH1 activity in MCF7 cells. At 10% concentration, MSC-EVs reduced the OCT4 expression and ALDH1 activity. Conclusion: MSC-derived EVs modulate the stemness of MCF7 cells, either OCT4 expression or ALDH1 activity, in a concentration dependent manner along with the increase of cell proliferation.

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