The influence of oncolytic reovirus on the biological activities of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence of oncolytic reovirus on the biological activities of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) as a novel virotherapy strategy. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to detect the viability of hUC-MSCs infected with different multiplicities of infection (MOIs) of reoviruses. The biological activities (proliferation, marker expression, multipotency, and migration) of hUC-MSCs were verified by assaying osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential, flow cytometry, and electrical cell-substrate impedance sensing, respectively. RESULTS The viability of hUC-MSCs slightly decreased by infection with low titers of reoviruses. A MOI of 1 had no effect on the viability of hUC-MSCs within 96 h. The biological activities (proliferation, marker expression, multipotency, and migration) of hUC-MSCs were not affected by reovirus infection at a MOI of 1. CONCLUSIONS Reovirus at a MOI of 1 had no effect on the biological activities of hUC-MSCs.