Antimicrobial Properties of Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Therapeutic Potential for Cystic Fibrosis Infection, and Treatment

Figure 4

hMSCs and their products on Streptococcus pneumoniae growth. Bone marrow derived hMSCs supernatants were cultured with different dosages of Streptococcus pneumoniae with and without the addition of geneticin (100 μg/mL). Aliquots of the bacteria were streaked onto MacConkey plates for CFUs (a) or evaluated for ATP production (b). hMSC supernatants ( different donors) significantly decreased both Streptococcus pneumoniae CFUs ((a), ) and growth rates ((b), ). Geneticin was used as a positive control, decreasing both CFUs () and growth rates (). hMSC supernatants decreased CFUs and enhanced antibiotic sensitivity when measuring CFUs. However, hMSCs supernatants had minimal antibiotic enhancing effect on Streptococcus pneumonia growth rate (b). ST = Streptococcus pneumoniae growth without treatment. Geneticin = treatment with the antibiotic geneticin, +hMSCs = treatment with hMSC derived supernatant, and Both = treatment with both MSC supernatants and geneticin.

(a) Streptococcus pneumoniae CFUs

(b) Streptococcus pneumoniae growth rate