In this study, we report the beneficial effects of a newly identified dermal cell subpopulation expressing the ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 5 (ABCB5) for the therapy of nonhealing wounds. Local administration of dermal ABCB5+ -derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) attenuated macrophage-dominated inflammation and thereby accelerated healing of full-thickness excisional wounds in the iron-overload mouse model mimicking the nonhealing state of human venous leg ulcers. The observed beneficial effects were due to interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) secreted by ABCB5+ -derived MSCs, which dampened inflammation and shifted the prevalence of unrestrained proinflammatory M1 macrophages toward repair promoting anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages at the wound site. The beneficial anti-inflammatory effect of IL-1RA released from ABCB5+ -derived MSCs on human wound macrophages was conserved in humanized NOD-scid IL2rγ null mice. In conclusion, human dermal ABCB5+ cells represent a novel, easily accessible, and marker-enriched source of MSCs, which holds substantial promise to successfully treat chronic nonhealing wounds in humans. Stem Cells 2019;37:1057-1074.

During cellular senescence cells undergo permanent cell cycle arrest, and this protects from malignant transformation. Though important to control cancerous neoplasia, the same mechanisms may fundamentally drive aging and age-related disorders. Senescent cells in many instances release a battery of soluble factors, collectively termed as senescence associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Depending on histogenetic origin of cells, SASP can vary in components and composition. Of note, SASP spreads senescence within tissues and organs and promotes several age associated disorders, including skin aging and impairment of chronic wound healing. Employing already published gene interaction data, we developed a Boolean network model-based gene regulatory network of SASP. We have simulated the network with the aim to inhibit SASP during DNA damage induced senescence. This simulation allowed us to predict different in-silico gene knockouts those can prevent damaging effects of key SASP-factors. The most promising in-silico knockout candidates originating from this simulation was NF-κB Essential Modulator (NEMO) or IKK-γ. Using in vitro experiments in murine dermal fibroblasts, we confirmed the importance of NEMO to successfully inhibit key SASP following DNA-damage. Therefore, we experimentally strengthened the speculated regulatory role of NF-κB signaling in the onset as well as maintenance of SASP using in-silico and in-vitro approaches. These data, thus, give access to potential therapeutic targets for SASP-associated aging diseases.

Increased concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) originating from dysfunctional mitochondria contribute to diverse aging-related degenerative disorders. But so far little is known about the impact of distinct ROS on metabolism and fate of stromal precursor cells. Here, we demonstrate that an increase in superoxide anion radicals due to superoxide dismutase 2 (Sod2) deficiency in stromal precursor cells suppress osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation through fundamental changes in the global metabolite landscape. Our data identify impairment of the pyruvate and l-glutamine metabolism causing toxic accumulation of alpha-ketoglutarate in the Sod2-deficient and intrinsically aged stromal precursor cells as a major cause for their reduced lineage differentiation. Alpha-ketoglutarate accumulation led to enhanced nucleocytoplasmic vacuolation and chromatin condensation-mediated cell death in Sod2-deficient stromal precursor cells as a consequence of DNA damage, Hif-1α instability, and reduced histone H3 (Lys27) acetylation. These findings hold promise for prevention and treatment of mitochondrial disorders commonly associated with aged individuals. Stem Cells 2017;35:1704-1718.

Chordomas are rare tumours of the bone arising along the spine from clivus to sacrum. We compared three chordoma cell lines of the clivus region including the newly established clivus chordoma cell line, U-CH14, with nine chordoma cell lines originating from sacral primaries by morphology, on genomic and expression levels and with patient samples from our chordoma tissue bank. Clinically, chordomas of the clivus were generally smaller in size at presentation and patients with sacral chordomas had more metastases and more often recurrent disease. All chordoma cell lines had a typical physaliphorous morphology and expressed brachyury, S100-protein and cytokeratin. By expression analyses we detected differentially expressed genes in the clivus derived cell lines as compared to the sacral cell lines. Among these were HOXA7 , HOXA9 , and HOXA10 known to be important for the development of the anterior-posterior body axis. These results were confirmed by qPCR. Immunohistologically, clivus chordomas had no or very low levels of HOXA10 protein while sacral chordomas showed a strong nuclear positivity in all samples analysed. This differential expression of HOX genes in chordomas of the clivus and sacrum suggests an oncofetal mechanism in gene regulation linked to the anatomic site.

Adult stem cells uphold a delicate balance between quiescent and active states, a deregulation of which can lead to age-associated diseases such as cancer. In Drosophila, intestinal stem cell (ISC) proliferation is tightly regulated and mis-regulation is detrimental to intestinal homeostasis. Various factors are known to govern ISC behavior; however, transcriptional changes in ISCs during aging are still unclear. RNA sequencing of young and old ISCs newly identified Nipped-A, a subunit of histone acetyltransferase complexes, as a regulator of ISC proliferation that is upregulated in old ISCs. We show that Nipped-A is required for maintaining the proliferative capacity of ISCs during aging and in response to tissue-damaging or tumorigenic stimuli. Interestingly, Drosophila Myc cannot compensate for the effect of the loss of Nipped-A on ISC proliferation. Nipped-A seems to be a superordinate regulator of ISC proliferation, possibly by coordinating different processes including modifying the chromatin landscape of ISCs and progenitors.

Cells and tissues are exposed to stress from numerous sources. Senescence is a protective mechanism that prevents malignant tissue changes and constitutes a fundamental mechanism of aging. It can be accompanied by a senescence associated secretory phenotype (SASP) that causes chronic inflammation. We present a Boolean network model-based gene regulatory network of the SASP, incorporating published gene interaction data. The simulation results describe current biological knowledge. The model predicts different in-silico knockouts that prevent key SASP-mediators, IL-6 and IL-8, from getting activated upon DNA damage. The NF-κB Essential Modulator (NEMO) was the most promising in-silico knockout candidate and we were able to show its importance in the inhibition of IL-6 and IL-8 following DNA-damage in murine dermal fibroblasts in-vitro. We strengthen the speculated regulator function of the NF-κB signaling pathway in the onset and maintenance of the SASP using in-silico and in-vitro approaches. We were able to mechanistically show, that DNA damage mediated SASP triggering of IL-6 and IL-8 is mainly relayed through NF-κB, giving access to possible therapy targets for SASP-accompanied diseases.

The evolutionarily conserved IGF‐1 signalling pathway is associated with longevity, metabolism, tissue homeostasis, and cancer progression. Its regulation relies on the delicate balance between activating kinases and suppressing phosphatases and is still not very well understood. We report here that IGF‐1 signalling in vitro and in a murine ageing model in vivo is suppressed in response to accumulation of superoxide anions ( ) in mitochondria, either by chemical inhibition of complex I or by genetic silencing of ‐dismutating mitochondrial Sod2. The ‐dependent suppression of IGF‐1 signalling resulted in decreased proliferation of murine dermal fibroblasts, affected translation initiation factors and suppressed the expression of α1(I), α1(III), and α2(I) collagen, the hallmarks of skin ageing. Enhanced led to activation of the phosphatases PTP1B and PTEN, which via dephosphorylation of the IGF‐1 receptor and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5‐triphosphate dampened IGF‐1 signalling. Genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of PTP1B and PTEN abrogated ‐induced IGF‐1 resistance and rescued the ageing skin phenotype. We thus identify previously unreported signature events with , PTP1B, and PTEN as promising targets for drug development to prevent IGF‐1 resistance‐related pathologies. New insight into a previously unreported mitochondrial superoxide anion ( )‐dependent activation of PTP1B and PTEN with subsequent repression of IGF‐1 signalling, and its implications for skin ageing and other pathologies with aberrant IGF‐1 signalling. New insight into a previously unreported mitochondrial superoxide anion ( )‐dependent activation of PTP1B and PTEN with subsequent repression of IGF‐1 signalling, and its implications for skin ageing and other pathologies with aberrant IGF‐1 signalling.