Uraemia disrupts the vascular niche in a 3D co-culture system of human mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial cells.

Background: Recent studies identified mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) as major players in vascular remodelling and the sub-endothelial compartment as the stem cell niche. The uraemic microenvironment predisposes to increased levels of reactive oxygen species, accelerated ageing of endothelial cells (EC) and vascular sclerosis.

Methods: We generated an in vitro model of a vascular niche consisting of a three-dimensional collagen I/III gel containing MSC and EC.

Exposure to uremic serum induces a procalcific phenotype in human mesenchymal stem cells.

Objective: Medial artery calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease proceeds through intramembranous ossification resulting from osteoblast-induced calcification of the collagen extracellular matrix. The current study is based on the hypothesis that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) constitute critical cells for procalcific extracellular matrix remodeling in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Methods And Results: Human MSC were cultured in media supplemented with pooled sera from either healthy or uremic patients (20%).