Mesenchymal stem cells and a vitamin D receptor agonist additively suppress T helper 17 cells and the related inflammatory response in the kidney.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) suppress T helper (Th)17 cell differentiation and are being clinically pursued for conditions associated with aberrant Th17 responses. Whether such immunomodulatory effects are enhanced by coadministration of MSCs with other agents is not well known. In the present study, individual and combined effects of MSCs and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) agonist paricalcitol on Th17 induction were investigated in vitro and in a mouse model of sterile kidney inflammation (unilateral ureteral obstruction).