Systemic administration of mesenchymal stem cells combined with parathyroid hormone therapy synergistically regenerates multiple rib fractures

Citation:

Cohn Yakubovich D, Sheyn D, Bez M, Schary Y, Yalon E, Sirhan A, Amira M, Yaya A, de Mel S, Da X, Ben-David S, Tawackoli W, Ley EJ, Gazit D, Gazit Z, Pelled G. Systemic administration of mesenchymal stem cells combined with parathyroid hormone therapy synergistically regenerates multiple rib fractures [Internet]. Stem Cell Res Ther 2017;8(1):51. Copy at http://www.tinyurl.com/y2lvgg9q

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: A devastating condition that leads to trauma-related morbidity, multiple rib fractures, remain a serious unmet clinical need. Systemic administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been shown to regenerate various tissues. We hypothesized that parathyroid hormone (PTH) therapy would enhance MSC homing and differentiation, ultimately leading to bone formation that would bridge rib fractures. METHODS: The combination of human MSCs (hMSCs) and a clinically relevant PTH dose was studied using immunosuppressed rats. Segmental defects were created in animals' fifth and sixth ribs. The rats were divided into four groups: a negative control group, in which animals received vehicle alone; the PTH-only group, in which animals received daily subcutaneous injections of 4 mug/kg teriparatide, a pharmaceutical derivative of PTH; the hMSC-only group, in which each animal received five injections of 2 x 106 hMSCs; and the hMSC + PTH group, in which animals received both treatments. Longitudinal in vivo monitoring of bone formation was performed biweekly using micro-computed tomography (muCT), followed by histological analysis. RESULTS: Fluorescently-dyed hMSCs were counted using confocal microscopy imaging of histological samples harvested 8 weeks after surgery. PTH significantly augmented the number of hMSCs that homed to the fracture site. Immunofluorescence of osteogenic markers, osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein, showed that PTH induced cell differentiation in both exogenously administered cells and resident cells. muCT scans revealed a significant increase in bone volume only in the hMSC + PTH group, beginning by the 4th week after surgery. Eight weeks after surgery, 35% of ribs in the hMSC + PTH group had complete bone bridging, whereas there was complete bridging in only 6.25% of ribs (one rib) in the PTH-only group and in none of the ribs in the other groups. Based on the muCT scans, biomechanical analysis using the micro-finite element method demonstrated that the healed ribs were stiffer than intact ribs in torsion, compression, and bending simulations, as expected when examining bone callus composed of woven bone. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of both hMSCs and PTH worked synergistically in rib fracture healing, suggesting this approach may pave the way to treat multiple rib fractures as well as additional fractures in various anatomical sites.

Notes:

Cohn Yakubovich, Doron Sheyn, Dmitriy Bez, Maxim Schary, Yeshai Yalon, Eran Sirhan, Afeef Amira, May Yaya, Alin De Mel, Sandra Da, Xiaoyu Ben-David, Shiran Tawackoli, Wafa Ley, Eric J Gazit, Dan Gazit, Zulma Pelled, Gadi eng R01 DE019902/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/ England Stem Cell Res Ther. 2017 Mar 9;8(1):51. doi: 10.1186/s13287-017-0502-9.

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