Mesenchymal stem cells expressing tnf-a receptor

Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells which express TNF-α receptor Type I in an amount of at least 13 pg/10 6 cells. Such mesenchymal stem cells inhibit the proliferation of lymphocytes and may be employed, in particular, in the treatment of graft-versus-host disease.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
   
   
       10 . A composition comprising allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells wherein said mesenchymal stem cells express TNF-α receptor Type I in an amount of at least 27 pg/10 6  cells. 
   
   
       11 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein said mesenchymal stem cells are human mesenchymal stem cells. 
   
   
       12 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein said mesenchymal stem cells are bone marrow-derived. 
   
   
       13 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein said mesenchymal stem cells are exposed to at least one freeze-thaw cycle. 
   
   
       14 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein said mesenchymal stem cells are expanded in culture. 
   
   
       15 . The composition of  claim 14 , wherein said mesenchymal stem cells are expanded for three to eight passages. 
   
   
       16 . The composition of  claim 15 , wherein said mesenchymal stem cells are expanded for four to six passages. 
   
   
       17 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein said mesenchymal stem cells are expanded for five passages. 
   
   
       18 . The composition of  claim 10 , further comprising an acceptable pharmaceutical carrier. 
   
   
       19 . The composition of  claim 10 , further comprising dimethyl sulfoxide. 
   
   
       20 . A method of treating an immunological response in a patient comprising:
 administering to said patient allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells, wherein said mesenchymal stem cells express TNF-α receptor Type I in an amount of at least 13 pg/10 6  cells.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said mesenchymal stem cells express TNF-α receptor Type I in an amount of at least 18 pg/10 6  cells. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said mesenchymal stem cells express TNF-α receptor Type I in an amount of at least 27 pg/10 6  cells. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said mesenchymal stem cells are human mesenchymal stem cells. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said immunological response is associated with an autoimmune disease. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said autoimmune disease is from the group consisting essentially of rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Type I diabetes, Guillain-Barré syndrome, lupus erythematosus, myasthenia gravis, optic neuritis, psoriasis, Graves' disease, Hashimoto's disease, Ord's thyroiditis, aplastic anemia, Reiter's syndrome, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome, temporal arteritis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, Good pasture's syndrome, Wegener's granulomatosis, coeliac disease, pemphigus, polyarthritis, warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and scleroderma. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said immunological response is associated with Crohn's disease. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said immunological response is associated with graft versus host disease. 
   
   
       28 . A method of determining immunosuppressive potency of a population of mesenchymal stem cells comprising:
 obtaining a sample from the population of mesenchymal stem cells;   quantifying TNF-α receptor Type I expression in the sample to obtain a measured value; and   comparing the measured value to a threshold value.   
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said threshold value is at least 13 pg/10 6  cells. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said threshold value is at least 18 pg/10 6  cells. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said threshold value is at least 27 pg/10 6  cells. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein TNF-α receptor Type I expression is quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising lysing cells in the sample prior to quantifying TNF-α receptor Type I expression.