Glycobiological insights in characterization and targeting of umbilical cord blood derived stem cells
Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Stem cells have a unique ability to both self-renew and differentiate into diverse cell types and they harbor remarkable potential in therapeutic applications. Stem cells can be isolated from various sources of both embryonic and adult origin. During the past decade, research on stem cells has rapidly expanded, but many issues of stem cell biology and their clinical use remain unresolved. There is a need for methods to thoroughly characterize therapeutic cell populations, to better distinguish them from other cells, and to control variation within and between different cell preparations. The surface of stem cells, like all other human cell surfaces, is covered by a complex network of glycans. This is the outmost layer of cells, called the glycocalyx. The glycocalyx is characteristic to and different in every cell type and reflects even subtle changes in cell behaviour and for example cell differentiation. Cell surface glycans are the first cellular components encountered by approaching cells, pathogens, signalling molecules and other binders, making the terminal glycan units key players in cell interactions and signalling. Due to their prominent cell surface localization, glycan epitopes can be utilized for identifying and isolating specific cell types from heterogeneous populations. The aim of this study was to characterize relevant glycan structures on umbilical cord blood derived stem and progenitor cells, to study how they are regulated and to determine their influence on stem cell biology. As decribed in the original publications of this study, we were able to characterize two novel glycan determinants, O-GlcNAc and linear poly-LacNAc, on umbilical cord blood derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UCB-MSCs). We further discovered that galectins-1 and -3 secreted by these cells are bound on the cell surface and that the cell surface galectin-1 interacts with P-selectin. This interaction is likely to play a role in the immunomodulatory homing of UCB-MSCs to sites of injury or inflammation. In addition, we present the effects and potential use of metabolic glycoengineering of UCB-MSC. Taken together, these studies provide new insights into the glycobiology of UCB derived stem and progenitor cells. This information may help to distinguish better cell populations for distinct therapeutic applications and to design therapeutic cells with enhanced biological properties.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Author: Heli Suila
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Tekes
OpenAlex ID: W1594835705