CD10 expression in human adventitial cells

The tunica adventitia ensheaths arteries and veins and contains presumptive mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) involved in vascular remodeling. We show here that a subset of human adventitial cells expresses the CD10/CALLA cell surface metalloprotease. Sorted CD10+ adventitial cells developed promptly in culture into MSCs, exhibiting higher proliferation, clonogenic and osteogenic potentials than CD10- counterparts. CD10+ adventitial cells increased expression of the cell cycle protein CCND2 via ERK1/2 and prompted NELL1 expression via NF-κB. CD10 expression was upregulated in CD10+ adventitial cells through neural secreted protein sonic hedgehog-mediated Gli1 signaling. These results suggest that CD10 expression, which marks rapidly dividing cells in other normal and malignant cell lineages, plays a role in MSC homeostasis in human tissues. two samples, sorted CD10+ and CD10- adventitial cells