USC showed a characteristic cytokine release profile. The supernatants from USC-TA+, USC-TA−, and BMSCs cultured alone or co-cultured with PBMNCs (direct mixed culture with PBMNCs, or indirect mixed culture with PBMNCs in transwell insert for 48 h) (A) were assessed for their relative levels of cytokines and chemokines by using the human cytokine array panel A, as described in “Methods” (B). A: human cytokine array panel template; B: PBMNCs background; C: USC-TA+ culture alone; D: USC-TA− culture alone; E: BMSCs culture alone; F: USC-TA+ direct mix culture with PBMNCs; G: USC-TA− direct mix culture with PBMNCs; H: BMSCs direct mix culture with PBMNCs; I: USC-TA+ in-direct mix culture with PBMNCs in transwell insert; J: USC-TA− in-direct mix culture with PBMNCs in transwell insert; K: BMSCs in-direct mix culture with PBMNCs in transwell insert: The immunoblot of cytokine expression levels were visualized and quantifed (C). *, P<0.05, comparing with BMSCs alone; †, P<0.05, comparing direct and indirect mixed culture with PBMNCs. BMSC, human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; SMC, human smooth muscle cells; USC TA+, human urine derived stem cells with high telomerase activity; USC TA−, human urine derived stem cells with low telomerase activity; PBMNC, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.