RNA sequencing reveals that Prx II gene knockout can down-regulate the allograft rejection of dermal mesenchymal stem cells

In this study, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyze and compare bulk cell samples from wild-type (WT) dermal mesenchymal stem cells (DMSCs) (n = 3) and Prx II knockout DMSCs (n = 3). The purpose of the study was to elucidate the role of Prx II on allogeneic immune rejection of transplanted DMSCs. The results revealed differential expression of 472 genes (176 up-regulated and 296 down-regulated; p ≤ 0.05) between the PrxII^+/+ (WT) and PrxII^−/− sample groups. When highly regulated genes were categorized according to the Gene Ontology (GO) molecular function classification and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, the PrxII^−/− samples showed a robust downward trend in allograft rejection. The study identified 43 all immunologically rejected differentially expressed genes, of which 41 showed lower expression in the PrxII^−/− vs. PrxII^+/+ (WT) samples. These findings suggest that Prx II gene knockout may down-regulate the allograft rejection that occurs during DMSCs transplantation and improve the survival rate of DMSCs in the host. This study provides a new perspective on the clinical treatment of stem cell transplantation.