Pentosan polysulfate promotes proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of adult human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal precursor cells

Ghosh P, Wu J, Shimmon S, et al. · Arthritis Research & Therapy

Proliferation rose at 1–5 µg/mL by day 3 (P<0.01) and cytokine-induced apoptosis fell 38% at 1–10 µg/mL. In micromass culture 35S-proteoglycan synthesis reached 130% of control at 2.5 µg/mL on day 5 (P<0.0001) and 160% at 5 µg/mL on day 7; type II collagen deposition rose from 0.5 µg/mL and fell away at 10–20 µg/mL in the 7- and 10-day cultures; pellets deposited more proteoglycan and type II collagen and less type I. Heparin had no effect, hyaluronan stimulated only at 1 µg/mL and inhibited at 5 µg/mL and above, and dextran sulfate inhibited from 1 µg/mL. PPS at 5 and 10 µg/mL suppressed osteogenic mineralisation (P<0.01) and in adipogenic medium increased adipocyte formation at every concentration (P<0.01).

Population

Adult human bone-marrow mesenchymal precursor cells (STRO-3-positive, a single batch prepared by Lonza for Mesoblast)

Intervention

PPS 0–20 µg/mL in culture up to 10 days

Comparator

Untreated cultures; hyaluronan, heparin, dextran sulfate

Limitations

Cell culture from one MPC batch. Three authors are paid Mesoblast consultants and shareholders and one a Mesoblast director; two are Proteobioactives employees, and the lead author, PPS's developer, holds shares in that company and has filed a patent application on the work.