Interleukin‐10 Modified Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Markedly Alleviated Periodontitis by Inducing Macrophage M2 Polarisation

Regenerating the missing periodontium represents a difficult task during clinical management of periodontitis given that alveolar bone, periodontal ligament and cementum possess poor regeneration potential. The significant contribution of the inflammatory response to periodontitis occurrence and development has been extensively documented. Although the efficacy of treatments based on mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) has been proved, that of naïve MSCs treatment remains suboptimal. Herein, human MSCs stably expressing interleukin-10 (IL-10-MSCs) were established and evaluated for their performance in treating ligature-induced periodontitis rats. Utilising the electroporation method, a recombinant plasmid containing the human IL10 gene was introduced into human MSCs derived from umbilical cord to generate IL-10-MSCs. These IL-10-MSCs and blank vector transfected MSCs were transplanted into rat ligature-induced periodontitis models by repeated injections via the periodontal and tail veins. Following MSCs transplantation, their therapeutic effects on the rat model and the underlying mechanisms were explored. IL-10-MSCs injections markedly promoted periodontal tissue regeneration, decreased bone resorption, and inhibited inflammation at the lesion area, relative to transplantation with unmodified MSCs as a control. Additionally, treatment with IL-10-MSCs respectively enhanced and decreased the proportions of macrophages undergoing alternative (M2) and classical (M1) activation at the lesion site. IL-10-MSCs exhibited more promising therapeutic efficacy against periodontitis in rats than naive MSCs and might represent a novel periodontitis treatment option.