Studio del ruolo della Protein chinasi B/Akt nella migrazione di Cellule Staminali Mesenchimali umane

Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (hMSC) are currently tested in several clinical trials. In spite of hMSC efficacy is frequently linked to their ability to reach the affected site, little is known on their migratory behavior and the underlying mechanism. This study was designed to investigate the migratory behavior of hMSC and to test the involvement of Akt, also known as protein kinase B. Akt protein expression and phosphorylation was investigated in hMSC western blotting analysis. Cell migration was assessed by transwell, wound healing and time lapse in vivo motility assays. MSC results fairly migratory and Akt was strongly activated at basal level. Furthermore, the characterization of the major regulatory proteins and effectors, upstream and downstream of Akt, has led to the conclusion that the cascade of reactions of this signaling pathway in hMSC follows a canonical pathway. Pharmacological inhibitors were used to determine the potential mechanism responsible for cell migration and invasion. Blocking PI3K/Akt pathway resulted in decreased hMSC migration. The use of pharmacological inhibitors specific for individual Akt isoforms allowed us to discriminate the different role of Akt1 and Akt2 in the migration of the hMSC. Through our analysis, we demonstrated that pharmacological inactivation of Akt2, but not that of Akt1, significantly decreased cell migration and invasion. Although these results are not fully comprehensive for the understanding of the phenomenon, in the complex indicate that the activation of Akt2 plays a critical role in allowing the migration of the hMSC. The demonstration that the Akt2 isoform is required for the chemotaxis of direct hMSC, makes this kinase a potential pharmacological target to modulate the migration of such cells.