Efficacy of 3D Culture Priming is Maintained in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells after Extensive Expansion of the Cells

The use of non-optimal preparations of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), such as extensively expanded cells, might be necessary to obtain the large numbers of cells needed for many clinical applications. We previously demonstrated that minimally expanded (early passage) MSCs can be pre-activated as spheroids to produce potentially therapeutic factors in 3D cultures. Here, we used extensively expanded (late passage) MSCs and studied their 3D-culture activation potential. MSCs were culture-expanded as 2D monolayers, and cells from various passages were activated by 3D culture in hanging drops with either fetal bovine serum (FBS)-containing media or a more clinically-applicable animal product-free (xeno-free) media. Gene expression analyses demonstrated that MSC spheroids prepared from passage 3, 5, and 7 cells were similar to each other but different from 2D MSCs. Furthermore, the expression of notable anti-inflammatory/immune-modulatory factors cyclooxygenase-2 (PTGS2), TNF alpha induced protein 6 (TNFAIP6), and stanniocalcin 1 (STC-1) were up-regulated in all spheroid preparations. This was confirmed by the detection of secreted prostaglandin E2 (PGE-2), tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6, and STC-1. This study demonstrated that extensively expanded MSCs can be activated in 3D culture through spheroid formation in both FBS-containing and xeno-free media. This work highlights the possibility of activating otherwise less useable MSC preparations through 3D culture generating large numbers of potentially therapeutic MSCs.