Aim Radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF) is a complication of radiotherapy that occurs 4-12 months post-radiotherapy, which is used to treat head and neck squamous cell carcinoma that has a high morbidity in patients undergoing treatment for malignancy. Autologous fat grafting is a viable method to treat RIF, and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) were found to be one of the main components to contribute to that effect. ADSC has demonstrated the immunomodulatory effect by inhibiting inflammation and altering activity of immune cells in previous studies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential immunomodulatory effects of human ADSC on irradiated HDF. Method Human-derived fibroblasts (HDF) were cultured and irradiated (iHDF) in vitro in the experimental group, with the control group unexposed to radiation. Both experimental group and control group were then inoculated with ADSC-controlled media and co-culture with ADSC, whilst levels of key immunomodulators expressed by iHDF cells were obtained and measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results ADSC has significant links with iHDF-secreted CCL3, CCL19, and IL-8, with the other immunomodulators having a subtle effect. Discussion The experiment revealed the complex nature of some immunomodulators that could exert both pro- and anti-inflammatory capabilities. Conclusions ADSC has some interactions with iHDF, although it is not completely elucidated within this experiment, ADSC was demonstrated to have anti-fibrotic capabilities, by promoting pro-angiogenic factors. Future works required to further investigate in vivo effects of ADSC.
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Cui et al. (2024) studied this question.
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