Anti-inflammatory protein TSG-6 secreted by activated MSCs attenuates zymosan-induced mouse peritonitis by decreasing TLR2/NF-κB signaling in resident macrophages

Human mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (hMSCs) repair tissues and modulate immune systems but the mechanisms are not fully understood. We demonstrated that hMSCs are activated by inflammatory signals to secrete the anti-inflammatory protein, TNF-α-stimulated gene 6 protein (TSG-6) and thereby create a negative feedback loop that reduces inflammation in zymosan-induced peritonitis. The results demonstrate for the first time that TSG-6 interacts through the CD44 receptor on resident macrophages to decrease zymosan/TLR2-mediated nuclear translocation of the NF-κB. The negative feedback loop created by MSCs through TSG-6 attenuates the inflammatory cascade that is initiated by resident macrophages and then…