Aim: Macrophage infiltration contributes to the pathogenesis of Type 2 diabetes. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess immunomodulatory properties, making them an ideal candidate for therapeutic intervention. This study investigated whether MSCs can modulate the phenotype of monocytes isolated from Type 2 diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease.
Materials & methods: Monocytes from control (n = 4) and Type 2 diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease (n = 5) were assessed using flow cytometry and microarray profiling, following 48 h of co-culture with MSCs.
Results: Control subjects had a greater proportion of CD14++CD16– monocytes while diabetic patients had a higher proportion of CD14++CD16+ and CD14+CD16++ monocytes. MSCs promoted the proliferation of monocytes isolated from diabetic patients, reduced HLA-DR expression in both groups and promoted the expression of anti-inflammatory genes.
Conclusion:MSC-derived factors alter the polarization of monocytes isolated from healthy and diabetic subjects toward an M2 phenotype.