Potential Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Author(s): Doaa Aboalola, Samer Zakri, Suliman Alwafi, Dhuha Al sharif, Noof Batook, Ahmad A. Alzahrani, Faisal Aldaheri, Ihab ElHemaidi, Omar Ali Batouk, Hanin AlGhamdi, Rawiah Alsiary, Sihem Aouabdi

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells, MSCs, can be found in bone marrow and other tissues. Acute myeloid leukemia, AML, is a kind of cancer that mostly affects the blood and bone marrow. It is distinguished by the aberrant myeloid cells growing rapidly. To what extent MSCs are altered in AML and to what extent they contribute to altered niche effects are underexplored. Aim: In order to shed light on their interaction and their therapeutic uses, we aimed to characterize the MSCs and study the similarities and differences between AML patients and healthy controls. Methods: MSCs used for this study were obtained from 6 AML patients and 10 healthy controls after signing the consent form. Isolated MSCs were characterized using flow cytometry for surface markers, and then apoptosis, proliferation, potency, and differentiation potential were evaluated. Results: MSCs from AML and control were successfully isolated and characterized, expressing cell surface markers (CD105, CD90, CD146) and intracellular STRO1 protein. Moreover, our data showed that AML-MSCs had lower apoptosis, higher potency, higher proliferation, and higher osteogenesis and adipogenesis compared to control-MSCs. Conclusion: Our data suggest that AML-MSCs might induce /maintain blast proliferation, confer AML-blast resistance to chemotherapy through reduced apoptosis, and might lead to a hostile bone marrow microenvironment. The potential of MSCs in the treatment of AML is an active area of research. In order to develop more effective treatment plans, we think that better understanding AML-MSCs' role in the pathophysiology of AML will come from defining them.