Tissue- and Aging-specific DNA-Methylation Patterns are erased in Mesenchymal Stromal Cells derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. [Methylation profiling]

Standardization of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) remains a major obstacle in regenerative medicine. Starting material and culture expansion affect cell preparations and render comparison between studies difficult. In contrast, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) assimilate towards a ground-state and may therefore give rise to more standardized cell preparations. We reprogrammed bone marrow MSCs into iPSCs which were subsequently re-differentiated towards MSCs. These iPS-MSCs revealed similar morphology, immunophenotype, in vitro differentiation potential, and gene expression profiles as primary MSCs. DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles of iPSCs maintained some donor-specific characteristics, whereas tissue-specific, senescence-associated, and age-related DNAm patterns were erased during reprogramming. iPS-MSCs reacquired senescence-associated DNAm during culture expansion but they remained rejuvenated with regard to age-related DNAm. Overall, iPS-MSCs and MSCs are similar in function but differ in their epigenetic makeup. 12 samples were hybridized to the Illumina Infinium 450k Human Methylation Beadchip