TRAKYA UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF NATURAL SCIENCES, cilt.26, sa.2, ss.1-10, 2025 (ESCI)
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are progenitor cells isolated from
various tissues and are crucial for tissue repair, immune support,
and anticancer therapies. MSC functions such as migration,
immunomodulation, and regeneration are regulated through Tolllike
receptors (TLRs). In particular, TLR3 activation enhances the
immunosuppressive and therapeutic capabilities of MSCs. This
research employed human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UCMSCs)
and investigated the effects of TLR3 stimulation on their viability,
phenotype-associated gene expression, and during co-culture
with Panc-1 pancreatic cancer cells. UCMSCs were cultured and
characterized for mesenchymal markers by flow cytometry. TLR3-
based signaling was modulated using Poly(A:U) (an agonist) and
CU-CPT4a (an antagonist). Cell viability was assessed using the
3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay,
and relative gene expression was measured employing quantitative
reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Panc-1 cells were cocultured
with UCMSCs to evaluate TLR3-mediated effects. Data are
presented as the means ± standard error of the mean, with statistical
significance determined by analysis of variance (p ≤ 0.05). The TLR3
agonist improved cell viability, whereas the antagonist reduced it.
Additionally, both regulated the expression of CD44, CDH1, and
VIMs. When UCMSCs and Panc-1 cells were cocultured at 10:1,
TLR3 affected the expression of MSC-related genes, including CD44,
CDH1, CLDN1, VIM, ZEB1, MMP9, MMP2, TIMP1, VEGFR2,
and PLAU. Thus, TLR3-based signaling influenced the viability,
maintenance of the mesenchymal phenotype, and Panc-1 cocultureassociated
phenotype in UCMSCs. These results underscore the
crucial role of TLR3-based signaling in modulating UCMSC function and suggest its potential utility in enhancing MSC-based therapeutic
strategies. We believe that these results can help elucidate the role of
TLR3-based signaling on UCMSC functions and provide a basis for
future research.