# Age, atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes reduce human mesenchymal stromal cell-mediated T-cell suppression

## TL;DR

This study shows that aging, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes reduce the ability of human mesenchymal stromal cells to suppress T-cells, which could impact cell-based therapies.

## Contribution

The study identifies age, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes as factors reducing the functional potency of mesenchymal stromal cells.

## Key findings

- Advanced age reduces the T-cell suppression ability of mesenchymal stromal cells.
- Atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes also impair the functional potency of these cells.
- Optimizing donor selection criteria could improve cell-based therapy outcomes.

## Abstract

To this end human MSCs were isolated from adipose tissue and the MSC:CD4+ T-cell suppression was assessed in a co-culture system. In summary, this study demonstrates that advanced age, atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes mellitus reduce the functional potency of MSCs. Optimizing the criteria for the selection of MSC donors could enhance the results of cell-based therapies.

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13287-015-0127-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.