Oral mucosal lamina propria progenitor cells as a novel and preferential source for treatment of Graft Vs Host Disease

移植物抗宿主病（GVHD）的特点是直接攻击患者？移植的供体血液干细胞中存在的免疫细胞使患者的身体受益。这种疾病是移植的主要障碍，因为它导致高死亡率。骨髓干细胞（BMSC）可以抑制这种对患者的攻击，并降低GVHD的发生率/严重程度，但使用这些细胞存在问题。我们已经在口腔中发现了一种新的祖细胞（干细胞样）细胞（口腔PC），它们是免疫反应的强大抑制剂，比BMSC更有效，可能是由于它们分泌的某种物质。本研究将深入研究这些细胞如何能够发挥其对免疫细胞的上级抑制作用，以及它们与BMSCs的不同之处。我们还将利用尖端技术来确定可溶性因子是什么，以便这些细胞/因子最终可以用于帮助患者。重要的是，口腔PC对于治疗应用具有明显的优势，因为它们来自容易接近的口腔区域，并且其将快速愈合，而对患者没有/最小的瘢痕形成。我们相信，这些口服PC的潜力增加将使它们成为与造血干细胞一起移植治疗GVHD和潜在的许多其他免疫应答功能失调的疾病的有利细胞来源。

Graft-Versus-Host-Disease (GVHD) is characterised by a direct attack on the patient?s body by immune cells present within transplanted donor blood stem cells. This disease is a major barrier to transplantation in that it leads to a high death rate. Bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) can suppress this attack on the patient and reduce the incidence/severity of GVHD but there are problems with using these cells. We have identified within the mouth a novel population of progenitor (stem-like) cells (oral PCs) which are powerful suppressors of immune responses and are more effective than BMSCs, possibly due to something they secrete. This research will investigate in depth how these cells are able to exert their superior suppression on immune cells and how they are different to BMSCs. We will also utilise cutting edge technologies to identify what the soluble factors are so that these cells/factors can ultimately be utilised to help patients. Importantly, oral PCs have distinct advantages for therapeutic applications in that they come from an area of the mouth that is easily accessible and which will heal rapidly with no/minimal resultant scar formation for the patient. We believe that the increased potential of these oral PCs will make them a favoured source of cells for transplantation with blood stem cells in the treatment of GVHD and potentially a number of other diseases where the immune response is dysfunctional.