Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42323611›Full record

ArticleStem cell research & therapy2026

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived TSG-6 regulates microglial pyroptosis and alleviates bone cancer pain by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Danyang Xu, Mengna Jiang, Hao Ming, Jing Zhang, Yunqi Li, Ping Wu, Qingping Wen

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Article in Stem cell research & therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

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7 authors.

Danyang Xu *Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116011, China.
Mengna Jiang *Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116011, China.
Hao MingDepartment of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116011, China.
Jing ZhangDepartment of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116011, China.
Yunqi LiDepartment of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116011, China.
Ping WuDepartment of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116011, China. 13684559453@163.com.
Qingping WenDepartment of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116011, China. qingping_wen@yahoo.com.

Funding

Basic Scientific Research Project of the Education Department of Liaoning Province LJ212510161045Key Research and Development and Achievement Transformation Program of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 2026YFSH0026National Natural Science Foundation of China 82474277the Liaoning Provincial Key Research and Development Program 2024JH2/102500038United Foundation for Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the First Hospital of Dalian Medical University DMU-1&DICP UN202402
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe central sensitization mechanism of bone cancer pain is related to neuroinflammation, glial cell activation, and an acidic environment. Among them, the NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in the occurrence of bone cancer pain. Studies have shown that an intrathecal injection of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) alleviates bone cancer pain by inhibiting microglial cell activation. Upon inflammatory stimulation, BMSCs produce increased levels of Tumor necrosis factor-α-stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6), which regulates intercellular signaling and inflammatory responses; however, whether the secretion of TSG-6 from BMSCs inhibits NLRP3-mediated microglial pyroptosis to alleviate bone cancer pain is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the analgesic effect of TSG-6 released by BMSCs on bone cancer pain (BCP) and explore its potential mechanisms through in vitro and in vivo experiments.

methodsIn vivo, Walker 256 breast cancer cells were injected into the bone marrow cavity of the left tibia of rats to establish a BCP model. On days 7 and 14 after surgery, intrathecal injections of BMSCs or exogenous recombinant TSG-6 were administered, and the analgesic effects were observed at 2, 4, 8, 24, and 48 h after administration. Spinal cord tissues were collected for Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining to assess the activation of the NLRP3 signaling pathway. In vitro, BV2 microglia were cocultured with BMSCs or recombinant TSG-6, and the same detection methods were performed to evaluate changes in the levels of proteins involved in the NLRP3 signaling pathway. BMSCs transfected with TSG-6-targeting shRNA were intrathecally injected in vivo or cocultured with microglia in vitro to investigate whether TSG-6 is involved in the inhibition of microglial pyroptosis and the inflammatory response mediated by BMSCs to alleviate BCP.

resultsBMSC transplantation or treatment with exogenous recombinant TSG-6 significantly improved BCP-related behaviors, inhibited the expression of key proteins in the NLRP3 signaling pathway in spinal dorsal horn microglia in rats, and reduced the release of inflammatory factors. Experiments revealed that coculturing BMSCs with BV2 microglia or treating BV2 cells with exogenous recombinant TSG-6 inhibited the LPS-induced activation of NLRP3 in BV2 cells and regulated microglial pyroptosis. Transfection of BMSCs with TSG-6-targeting shRNA significantly weakened the inhibitory effect on microglial pyroptosis.

conclusionIn vivo and in vitro experiments revealed that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells inhibit the NLRP3 signaling pathway to regulate the pyroptosis of microglia through the secretion of TSG-6, thereby alleviating bone cancer pain.

Indexed as

Bone NeoplasmsCancer PainCell Adhesion MoleculesInflammasomesMesenchymal Stem CellsMicrogliaNLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 ProteinPyroptosisAnimalsBone Marrow CellsFemaleRatsRats, Sprague-DawleyCell Adhesion MoleculesInflammasomesNLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 ProteinNlrp3 protein, ratTnfaip6 protein, ratBone cancer pain (BCP)Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs)MicrogliaNLRP3PyroptosisTumor necrosis factor-α-stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6)

Identifiers

PMID42323611
PMCPMC13548616

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.