Single-cell RNA sequencing of human salivary gland derived mesenchymal stromal cells under cytokine treatment conditions

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) reside in tissue stroma and are associated with potent immunomodulatory and trophic properties. Furthermore, the immunomodulatory properties of MSCs are traditionally optimized with cytokine stimulation such as with IFNγ or both IFNγ and TNFα. The effect of these cytokines on MSC(SG) are unknown. We report the study of labial salivary gland-derived MSCs (MSC[SG]) as a potential MSC source with beneficial immunomodulatory and trophic properties. We studied MSC(SG) after cytokine pre-licensing with vehicle,  IFNγ, TNFα, or both IFNγ and TNFα (dual treatment). 

Methods
Mesenchymal stromal cells were isolated from three biologically distinct human labial salivary glands.Patients were healthy controls who had head and neck cancer that did not involve the labial salivary gland and did not have any dryness symptoms. After expansion to 80% confluence, each of the three biologiacal replicates were treated with vehicle,  60 ng/mL of IFNγ and 10 ng/mL of TNFα for 24 hours.