TNFAIP6 defines the MSC subpopulation with enhanced immune suppression activities

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) have been intensively investigated in both pre-clinical and clinical studies. However, the therapeutic efficacy varies resulting from the heterogenicity of MSCs. Therefore, purifying the specific MSC subpopulation with specialized function is necessary for their therapeutic applications. METHODS: The large-scale RNA sequencing analysis was performed to identify potential cell markers for the mouse MSCs. Then, the immune suppression activities of the purified MSC subpopulation were assessed in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: The TNFAIP6 (tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 6) has been identified as a potential cell marker for mouse MSCs, irrespective of tissue origin and laboratory origin. The TNFAIP6(+) mouse MSCs showed enhanced immune suppression activities and improved therapeutic effects on the mouse model of acute inflammation, resulting from faster response to immune stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, we have demonstrated that the TNFAIP6(+) MSC subpopulation has enhanced immune suppression capabilities. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-022-03176-5.