{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T08:30:37Z","timestamp":1787646637235,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787616000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Marmara University","award":["TTU-2023-11006"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["TTU-2023-11006"]}]},{"award":["TTU-2023-11006"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["TTU-2023-11006"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02kswqa67","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cells"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited multisystemic disease. Despite advances in treatment, many patients still experience progressive lung dysfunction. Dental follicle-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DF-MSCs) possess significant immunomodulatory potential in inflammatory airway diseases. We evaluated the effects of DF-MSCs on lymphocyte proliferation, CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cell (Treg) frequency, and cytokine responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from CF patients. Methods: PBMCs from 20 CF patients and 20 matched healthy controls were isolated by density gradient centrifugation, stimulated with a CD3\/CD28 T-cell-activating antibody cocktail (CD-mix), and co-cultured ex vivo with cryopreserved DF-MSCs. Lymphocyte proliferation was assessed by carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE)-based flow cytometry, and Tregs were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytokine levels in culture supernatants were quantified using a multiplex immunoassay. Results: DF-MSC co-culture significantly suppressed lymphocyte proliferation in CF PBMCs. Treg frequency significantly increased in the stimulated CF samples following MSC co-culture. Following co-culture, levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-\u03b1), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and IL-23 decreased. In CF samples, levels of interferon-alpha 2 (IFN-\u03b12), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin-12 (IL-12), interleukin-18 (IL-18), and interleukin-33 (IL-33) were elevated. Conclusions: DF-MSCs reduced lymphocyte proliferation, increased Treg frequency, and regulated cytokine levels in CF, supporting their potential to restore immune balance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cells15171530","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T08:00:48Z","timestamp":1787644848000},"page":"1530","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Immune Modulation in Peripheral Blood of Cystic Fibrosis Patients Following Ex Vivo Co-Culture with Mesenchymal Stem Cells"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1109-0940","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Halime Mualla","family":"Vatansever","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonology, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, 34899 Istanbul, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-1626-6112","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sabriye Senem","family":"Kilic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Immunology, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, 34854 Istanbul, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1751-8546","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Can","family":"Ilgin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiation Oncology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-5911-0269","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zeynep","family":"Tunca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Immunology, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, 34854 Istanbul, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9179-2805","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tunc","family":"Akkoc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Immunology, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, 34854 Istanbul, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emel","family":"Eryuksel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonology, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, 34899 Istanbul, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3236-3995","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sehnaz Olgun","family":"Yildizeli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonology, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, 34899 Istanbul, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1016\/S2213-2600(19)30337-6","article-title":"The future of cystic fibrosis care: A global perspective","volume":"8","author":"Bell","year":"2020","journal-title":"Lancet Respir. 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