Reduced immunogenicity of induced pluripotent stem cells derived from Sertoli cells

PLoS One. 2014 Aug 28;9(8):e106110. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106110. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Sertoli cells constitute the structural framework in testis and provide an immune-privileged environment for germ cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) resemble embryonic stem cells (ES cells) and are generated from somatic cells by expression of specific reprogramming transcription factors. Here, we used C57BL/6 (B6) Sertoli cells to generate iPS cells (Ser-iPS cells) and compared the immunogenicity of Ser-iPS cells with iPS cells derived from mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF-iPS cells). Ser-iPS cells were injected into syngeneic mice to test for their in vivo immunogenicity in teratoma assay. Teratoma assay allows assessing in vivo immunogenicity of iPS cells and of their differentiated progeny simultaneously. We observed that early-passage Ser-iPS cells formed more teratomas with less immune cell infiltration and tissue damage and necrosis than MEF-iPS cells. Differentiating Ser-iPS cells in embryoid bodies (EBs) showed reduced T cell activation potential compared to MEF-iPS cells, which was similar to syngeneic ES cells. However, Ser-iPS cells lost their reduced immunogenicity in vivo after extended passaging in vitro and late-passage Ser-iPS cells exhibited an immunogenicity similar to MEF-iPS cells. These findings indicate that early-passage Ser-iPS cells retain some somatic memory of Sertoli cells that impacts on immunogenicity of iPS cells and iPS cell-derived cells in vivo and in vitro. Our data suggest that immune-privileged Sertoli cells might represent a preferred source for iPS cell generation, if it comes to the use of iPS cell-derived cells for transplantation.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Embryo, Mammalian / cytology
  • Embryoid Bodies / immunology
  • Embryoid Bodies / physiology*
  • Fibroblasts / cytology*
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / immunology*
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / transplantation
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Sertoli Cells / cytology*
  • Sertoli Cells / immunology
  • Spleen / cytology
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Teratoma / immunology
  • Teratoma / pathology*

Grants and funding

This work was funded by a China Scholarship Council (CSC) fellowship to XW. Part of this work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant 30911130363 to RCZ and the German Research Foundation (DFG), Grants ZE432/5-2 and ZE 432/6-1 to MZ. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.