Fig. 6.

Systemic treatment with MSC/IFNβ/GFP improves the cellular immunity in breast tumor-bearing mice. Mature DCs in spleen were analyzed by flow cytomery after MSC/IFNβ/GFP injection. Mature DC (a I–II ) and CD8+ T cell (Fig. 6a III ) frequencies were significantly increased compared with mice treated with MSC/GFP, p < 0.01. Importantly, levels of Tregs in MSC/IFNβ/GFP mice remained the same as in normal mice but were elevated in MSC/GFP treated mice, p < 0.01, a IV. Immunohistochemical analysis of splenic Foxp3+ T cells (b), CD 8+ T cells (c) and mature DCs (d) support these results. Fewer mature DC are noted in MSC/GFP treated mouse spleens (d, left panel) than in MSC/IFN-β/GFP treated spleens (d, right panel)