Molecular and Functional Verification of Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells (WJ-MSCs) Pluripotency.

Aleksandra Musiał-Wysocka,Bogna Badyra,Marcin Majka,Maciej Sułkowski,Marta Kot

doi:10.3390/ijms20081807

Aleksandra Musiał-Wysocka, Bogna Badyra + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20081807

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Abstract

The properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), especially their self-renewal and ability to differentiate into different cell lines, are widely discussed. Considering the fact that MSCs isolated from perinatal tissues reveal higher differentiation capacity than most adult MSCs, we examined mesenchymal stem cells isolated from Wharton’s jelly of umbilical cord (WJ-MSCs) in terms of pluripotency markers expression. Our studies showed that WJ-MSCs express some pluripotency markers—such as NANOG, OCT-4, and SSEA-4—but in comparison to iPS cells expression level is significantly lower. The level of expression can be raised under hypoxic conditions. Despite their high proliferation potential and ability to differentiate into different cells type, WJ-MSCs do not form tumors in vivo, the major caveat of iPS cells. Owing to their biological properties, high plasticity, proliferation capacity, and ease of isolation and culture, WJ-MSCs are turning out to be a promising tool of modern regenerative medicine.

Highlights

The ‘stemness’ of cells can be defined as the most primitive cell state that combines two inseparable properties: the ability of self-renewal and the ability to differentiate
Since it is considered that MSCs derived from fetal tissues are more potent than from adult tissues, the main goal of the current study was to analyze the pluripotency of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from Wharton’s jelly
Our studies have shown that Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) express pluripotency markers: NANOG, OCT-4, and SSEA-4

Summary

Introduction

The ‘stemness’ of cells can be defined as the most primitive cell state that combines two inseparable properties: the ability of self-renewal and the ability to differentiate. NANOG (the name derives from Tìr na nÒg, the mythical Celtic land of youth) described by Chambers et al 2003 and Mitsui et al 2003 in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is recognized as the main factor responsible for stem cell self-renewal processes as well as their pluripotent nature [11,12,13]. Overexpression of this protein in embryonic cells increases their proliferative activity as well as maintains them in an undifferentiated state. OCT-4 (Octamer-binding transcription factor-3/4) is present primarily in early embryos where it plays a key role in the regulation of pluripotency and stem cell differentiation processes by regulation of other genes’ expression [1,2,9]

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