Figure 3 - HCELL⁺ MSCs have markedly enhanced shear-resistant adhesive interactions with endothelial E-selectin under defined shear stress conditions.

Untreated MSCs, HCELL⁺ MSCs or sialidase-digested FTVI-treated (FTVI-sialidase-MSCs) MSCs were perfused over IL-1 and TNF- stimulated (stim) or unstimulated (unstim) HUVECs at 0.5 dyn/cm². MSC accumulation was then determined at shear stresses of 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 30 dyn/cm². HCELL⁺ MSCs show rolling adhesive interactions on HUVECs at a shear stress of up to 30 dyn/cm² that were abrogated by sialidase treatment. To control for the specificity of binding of HCELL⁺ MSCs, EDTA was added to the assay buffer (EDTA group), or stimulated HUVECs were pretreated with a function blocking mAb to E-selectin (anti–E-Sel group) before use in adhesion assays. Values are means s.e.m. (n = 4 for each group). P < 0.001 for comparisons of HCELL⁺ MSCs to all other groups at all shear stress levels.