Secretomes of adipose and umbilical cord-derived stem cells affect ALDH1A1 expression in breast cancer stem cells

Introduction: Conditioned media of Mesenchymal Stem Cell’s culture containing secretomes has been identified to mediate communication between MSCs and cancer cells which could affect the stemness of cancer stem cells. Methods: Conditioned media (CM) of Adipose Stem Cells (ASCs) and Umbilical Cord Stem Cells (UCSCs) was collected and supplemented to Breast Cancer Stem Cells (BCSCs) ALDH+ cells for 72 hours. The expression of ALDH1A1, Oct4 and Sox2 genes in BCSCs was determined using qRT-PCR technique, while the viability was measured using Tryphan blue exclusion assay. Results: CM of ASCs (50% v/v) could significantly increase both cell viability and the expression of ALDH1A1, Oct4 and Sox2 genes in BCSCs. In contrast, CM of UCSCs (50% v/v) could significantly decrease the expression of ALDH1A1 gene and decrease the viability of BCSCs without affecting Oct4 and Sox2 expression. Conclusion: ALDH1A1 was differentially expressed in BCSCs after supplementation with secretomes of ASCs and UCSCs. Further studies are required to confirm the role of MSCs secretomes on the pluripotency and viability of BCSCs.