Loss of A20 in BM-MSCs regulates the Th17/Treg balance in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multi-potent cells that are self-renewable and possess the potential to differentiate into multiple lineages. Several studies demonstrated that MSCs could regulate a Th17/Treg balance and could be a potential therapeutic target for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). A20 is highly expressed in many cell types after the stimulation of TNF-α, where it may inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. However, the expression of A20 in BM-MSCs in RA is not fully understood. In our study, we found that A20 was decreased in RA patients’ bone marrow MSCs (BM-MSCs), and with more IL-6 secretion, the balance of Th17/Treg was broken. In CIA mice, we found a moderate A20 decrease in mice MSCs as compared with those of control group in mRNA and protein levels. However, the IL-6 expression was increased. After umbilical cord MSCs treatment, A20 and IL-6 expressions were equal to the control group. Thus, our study indicates that loss of A20 in MSCs regulates the Th17/Treg balance in RA and the regulatory role of A20 in pro-inflammatory IL-6 production could be a potential target for the transfer of MSCs in RA adoptive therapy.