Abstract
voided urine sample may contain malignant cells. In this study, we investigated whether cells isolated from upper urinary tract (UTCs) possess stem cell characteristics and could be an alternative cell source for bladder cancer patients. METHODS: Urine samples were collected from the upper urinary tract of 4 male bladder cancer patients using a ureteral catheter. The samples were centrifuged and the pellets were plated for primary culture. Cells were analyzed for colony forming unit, proliferation rate, cytogenetics, stem cell characterization and tumorigenicity. The results were compared with those of VUC collected from 3 healthy men. RESULTS: We were able to isolate cells possessing stem cell characteristics from urine, which were obtained from upper urinary tract. The UTCs were able to form colonies, had a higher proliferation rate than VUC and had normal karyotype without any chromosomal aberrations. The UTCs possessed stem cell characteristics (expression of CD44 , CD73 , CD90 , CD105 , SSEA4 ) and expressed several markers for urothelial, smooth muscle and endothelial cell lineages. The UTCs did not form teratoma when implanted into the subcapsular space of mouse kidney. CONCLUSIONS: The UTCs possessed stem cell characteristics and can potentially be an alternative cell source for urological tissue regeneration in bladder cancer patients.
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