Combined Placental Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Guided Nanoparticles Effective Against Diabetic Nephropathy in Mouse Model

Abstract

Background

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a prevalent complication of diabetes mellitus and constitutes the primary cause of mortality in affected patients. Previous studies have shown that placental mesenchymal stem cells (PL-MSCs) can alleviate kidney dysfunction in animal models of DN. However, the limited ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to home to damaged sites restricts their therapeutic potential. Enhancing the precision of PL-MSCs’ homing to target tissues is therefore vital for the success of cell therapies in treating DN.

Methods

We developed Fe₃O₄ coated polydopamine nanoparticle (NP)-internalized MSCs and evaluated their therapeutic effectiveness in a mouse model of streptozotocin- and high-fat diet-induced DN, using an external magnetic field.

Results

Our study confirmed that NPs were effectively internalized into PL-MSCs without compromising their intrinsic stem cell properties. The magnetic targeting of PL-MSCs notably improved their homing to the kidney tissues in mice with DN, resulting in enhanced kidney function compared to the transplantation of PL-MSCs alone. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic attributes of PL-MSCs played a role in the recovery of kidney function and structure.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that magnetically targeted therapy using PL-MSCs is a promising approach for treating diabetic nephropathy.

Keywords:

• diabetic nephropathy
• magnetic targeting
• mesenchymal stem cells
• iron oxide nanoparticles

Data Sharing Statement

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this publication.

Disclosure

Ke Wang and Te Liu contributed equally to this work and are co-first authors. The authors declare no conflicts of interest in relation to this work.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 82000765), the Education Department of Jilin Province (Grant No. JJKH20211148KJ), the Spring Bud Project of the China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University (Grant No. 2023CL03, 2023CL02, 2023CL06), and Science and Technology Department of Jilin Province (No. YDZJ202201ZYTS241, 20220203120SF).