Indonesian Journal of Biotechnology
Vol 30, No 4 (2025)

Anti‐inflammatory properties of conditioned medium from human Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells

Azis, Rizal (Unknown)
Widowati, Wahyu (Unknown)
Gunanegara, Rimonta Febby (Unknown)
Kusuma, Hanna Sari Widya (Unknown)
Triharsiwi, Dwi Nur (Unknown)
Hadiprasetyo, Dhanar Septyawan (Unknown)
Gondokesumo, Marisca Evalina (Unknown)
Mars, Nicholas (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Dec 2025

Abstract

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a critical respiratory dysfunction triggered by intense in‐ flammation, microvascular damage, and increased epithelial and pulmonary vascular permeability. Human Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells (hWJMSCs) possess regenerative and anti‐inflammatory activities through the cytokines, chemokines, and growth factor secretion. The development of anti‐inflammatory agents derived from hWJMSCs has become one of the therapeutic solutions. Instead of direct cell use of hWJMSCs, their conditioned medium (CM) provides a cell‐free approach that delivers bioactive factors while minimizing the risks associated with stem cell transplantation. This study aims to measure the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor‐α (VEGF‐α), epidermal growth factor‐β (EGF‐β), interleukin‐10 (IL‐10), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in CM‐hWJMSCs under non‐starvation and starvation conditions (24, 48 and 72 hours) using ELISA. The anti‐inflammatory potential of these factors was then analyzed through molecular docking with pro‐inflammatory cytokines. VEGF‐α, EGF‐β, IL‐10 and HGF levels were measured across all conditions. VEGF‐α ranged from 2590.37 to 3613.92 ng/mg protein; EGF‐β 347.01–504.43 ng/mg; IL‐10 302.59–729.28 pg/mg; and HGF 1747.20–2903.52 ng/mg. The molecular docking revealed strong binding between VEGF‐α, EGF‐β, IL‐10 and HGF with pro‐inflammatory cytokines, namely IL‐1β, IL‐6 and TNF‐α. VEGF‐α had the strongest bond with TNF‐α (–1162.3 kJ/mol), while EGF‐β formed the most hydrophobic and hydrogen interactions. The findings suggest that CM‐hWJMSCs, enriched with anti‐inflammatory and regenerative cytokines, may serve as a promising candidate for modulating the inflammatory pathways involved in ARDS pathogenesis. Longer starvation increased the secretion of VEGF‐α, EGF‐β, IL‐10 and HGF. These factors are known to promote angiogenesis, regulate immune responses, and protect against epithelial injury, thereby supporting the anti‐inflammatory and regenerative potential of hWJMSCs‐CM for ARDS therapy.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijbiotech

Publisher

Subject

Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Immunology & microbiology Materials Science & Nanotechnology

Description

The Indonesian Journal of Biotechnology (IJBiotech) is an open access, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary journal dedicated to the publication of novel research in all aspects of biotechnology, with particular attention paid to the exploration and development of natural products derived from ...