AUTHOR=Kang Seok-Jin , Gu Na-Yeon , Byeon Jeong Su , Hyun Bang-Hun , Lee Jienny , Yang Dong-Kun 

TITLE=Immunomodulatory effects of canine mesenchymal stem cells in an experimental atopic dermatitis model

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1201382

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2023.1201382

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the potential to differentiate into multi-lineage cells, suggesting their future applicability in regenerative medicine and biotechnology. The immunomodulatory properties of MSCs make them a promising replacement therapy in various fields of animal research including in canine atopic dermatitis (AD), a skin disease with 10–15% prevalence. 
Purpose: we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of MSCs in an experimental canine AD model induced by Dermatophagoides farinae extract ointment.
Methods: Canine adipose tissue-derived MSCs (cAT-MSCs) were differentiated into mesodermal cell lineages at the third passage. Alterations in immunomodulatory factors in control, AD, and MSC-treated AD groups were evaluated using flow cytometric analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.
Results: In the MSC-treated AD group, the number of eosinophils decreased and the number of regulatory T cells (Tregs) increased compared to those in the AD group. In addition, the levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and prostaglandin E2 were reduced in the MSC-treated AD group compared to those in the AD group. Furthermore, the gene expression levels of filaggrin, vascular endothelial growth factor, and interleukin-5 were higher in the MSC-treated AD group than in the AD group.
Conclusion: cAT-MSCs exerted immunomodulatory effects in an AD canine model via a rebalancing of type-1 and -2 T helper cells that correlated with increased levels of Tregs, IgE, and various cytokines.