Photobiomodulation Combined With Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Modulates the Polarization of Microglia

Chunyan Ma; Hongyu Zhu; Yuanhao Cai; Na Li; Zhibo Han; Huancheng Wu; Hongli Chen

doi:10.1002/jbio.202400468

Photobiomodulation Combined With Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Modulates the Polarization of Microglia

J Biophotonics. 2025 Jan 22:e202400468. doi: 10.1002/jbio.202400468. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Chunyan Ma^{1

2}, Hongyu Zhu¹, Yuanhao Cai^{1

3}, Na Li¹, Zhibo Han⁴, Huancheng Wu⁵, Hongli Chen^{2

6}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes & Key Laboratory of Hollow Fiber Membrane Materials and Membrane Processes, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Detection Technology and Systems, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Neuromodulation and Neurorepair, Integrative regeneration laboratory, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
³ School of Intelligent Information Engineering, Medicine &Technology College of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.
⁴ Tianjin Key Laboratory of Engineering Technologies for Cell Pharmaceutical, National Engineering Research Center of Cell Products, AmCellGene Co. Ltd., Tianjin, China.
⁵ Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Beichen Hospital, Tianjin, China.
⁶ Cangzhou Institute of Tiangong University, Cangzhou, China.

PMID: 39840548
DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202400468

Abstract

Neuroinflammation plays a key role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, with microglia regulating this process through pro-inflammatory M1 and anti-inflammatory M2 phenotypes. Studies have shown that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) modulate neuroinflammation by secreting anti-inflammatory cytokines. Photobiomodulation (PBM), a non-invasive therapy, has demonstrated significant potential in alleviating neuroinflammation. This study examines the combined effects of PBM and hUCMSCs in an in vitro microglial inflammation model and an LPS-induced mouse model. The results show that PBM-pretreated hUCMSCs promoted M2 polarization and improved cognitive function in mice by downregulating the Notch signaling pathway, suggesting a promising new approach for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Keywords: human mbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells; microglial polarization; neuroinflammation; photobiomodulation.

Abstract

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