Expression Of MSC-specific Markers Research Articles

Deducing Insulin-Producing Cells from Goat Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Mesenchymal stem cell is a potent tool for regenerative medicine against control of incurable diseases in human and animals. Diabetes mellitus is one such condition marked with the blood glucose is high due to lack of insulin (INS) hormone secreted by the pancreatic cells. Rare, but sporadic, cases of dysfunctional pancreatic cells in goat as well as the promises of stem cell therapy as an off-the-shelf medicine prompted us to explore the potential of adipose-derived goat mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) to transdifferentiate into pancreatic islet-like cells. We isolated, in vitro cultured, and characterized the AD-MSCs by expression of MSC-specific markers and differentiation into multiple mesodermal lineage cells. The characterized AD-MSCs were in vitro transdifferentiated into INS-producing islet-like cells using a cocktail of glucose, nicotinamide, activin-A, exendin-4, pentagastrin, retinoic acid, and mercaptoethanol in 3 weeks. The transdifferentiated islet-like cells demonstrated the expression of pancreatic endoderm-specific transcripts PDX1, NGN3, PAX6, PAX4, ISL1, and GLUT2 as well as protein expression of pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX1), INS, and Islets 1 (ISL1). The islet-like cells also demonstrated the significant glucose-dependent INS release with respect to the course of transdifferentiation regime. The study envisaged to create the building material for basic research into mechanism of glucose homeostasis, which may pave road for developments in diabetes drug discovery and regenerative therapies.

Inhibitory Effect of Immunologically Activated Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Lung Cancer Cell Growth and Metastasis.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could inhibit the proliferation of lung cancer cells. The authors' study investigated the effects of immunologically activated human umbilical cord (HUC)-MSCs on A549 lung cancer cells. Materials and Methods: HUC-MSCs were separated from the umbilical cord using the adherence method. Surface markers of HUC-MSCs were detected by flow cytometry for MSC identification. Imiquimod (TLR7 agonist) was incubated with HUC-MSCs for immune activation, and the expression of MSC-specific markers and immune inflammatory molecules was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. HUC A549 cells were cocultured with HUC-MSCs treated with imiquimod, siTLR7 (small interfering RNA for TLR7) or TLR7 overexpression, and then cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion, and the expression of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and NF-κB was investigated using MTT assay, clone formation assay, transwell assay, and Western blot, respectively. Results: HUC-MSCs were identified as positive for CD73, CD105, CD44, CD29, and CD90. Expression of MSC markers was inhibited, while those of immune inflammatory molecules expression except IL-6 (interleukin-6) was enhanced after MSCs were immunologically activated by imiquimod. After being cocultured with HUC-MSCs treated with imiquimod or overexpressed TLR7, cell viability, proliferation, and metastasis, and the phosphorylation of P65 and AKT in A549 cells were decreased, but apoptosis was increased, while siTLR7 showed the opposite effect HUC. Conclusions: Immunologically activated HUC-MSCs inhibited the growth and metastasis, yet, promoted the apoptosis of A549 lung cancer cells via regulating the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB pathways.

Expansion and characterization of bone marrow derived human mesenchymal stromal cells in serum-free conditions

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) are gaining increasing importance in the field of regenerative medicine. Although therapeutic value of MSCs is now being established through many clinical trials, issues have been raised regarding their expansion as per regulatory guidelines. Fetal bovine serum usage in cell therapy poses difficulties due to its less-defined, highly variable composition and safety issues. Hence, there is a need for transition from serum-based to serum-free media (SFM). Since SFM are cell type-specific, a precise analysis of the properties of MSCs cultured in SFM is required to determine the most suitable one. Six different commercially available low serum/SFM with two different seeding densities were evaluated to explore their ability to support the growth and expansion of BM-MSCs and assess the characteristics of BM-MSCs cultured in these media. Except for one of the SFM, all other media tested supported the growth of BM-MSCs at a low seeding density. No significant differences were observed in the expression of MSC specific markers among the various media tested. In contrary, the population doubling time, cell yield, potency, colony-forming ability, differentiation potential, and immunosuppressive properties of MSCs varied with one another. We show that SFM tested supports the growth and expansion of BM-MSCs even at low seeding density and may serve as possible replacement for animal-derived serum.

Endoscopic atomization of mesenchymal stromal cells: in vitro study for local cell therapy of the lungs

Background aimsCell-based therapies of pulmonary diseases with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are increasingly under experimental investigation. In most of these, MSCs are administered intravenously or by direct intratracheal instillation. A parallel approach is to administer the cells into the lung by endoscopic atomization (spraying). In a previous study, the authors developed a flexible endoscopic atomization device that allows administration of respiratory epithelial cells in the lungs with high survival. MethodsIn this study, the authors evaluated the feasibility of spraying MSCs with two different endoscopic atomization devices (air and pressure atomization). Following atomization, cell viability was evaluated with live/dead staining. Subsequent effects on cytotoxicity, trilineage differentiation and expression of MSC-specific markers as well as on MSC metabolic activity and morphology were analyzed for up to 7 days. ResultsMSC viability immediately after spraying and subsequent metabolic activity for 7 days was not influenced by either of the devices. Slightly higher cytotoxicity rates could be observed for pressure-atomized compared with control and air-atomized MSCs over 7 days. Flow cytometry revealed no changes in characteristic MSC cell surface marker expression, and morphology remained unchanged. Standard differentiation into osteocytes, chondrocytes and adipocytes was inducible after atomization. ConclusionsIn the literature, a minimal survival of 50% was previously defined as the cutoff value for successful cell atomization. This is easily met with both of the authors’ devices, with more than 90% survival. Thus, there is a potential role for atomization in intrapulmonary MSC-based cell therapies, as it is a feasible and easily utilizable approach based on clinically available equipment.

The influence of osteogenic differentiation on the stem-like properties of adipose derived stem cells – an RT-qPCR study

Abstract ADSCs are readily accessible and widely available. Isolated through a minimally invasive procedure from adipose depots, they can be found at diverse body location, where they served various functions, including energy homeostasis. They can be obtained upon surgeries from otherwise waste tissues, like after excision of fat tissue or liposuction. In addition, due to the possibility to isolate many ADSCs, in vitro proliferation can be performed in a short time period, resulting in cells showing more predictable results[1]. For this study ADSCs were obtained from waste material following routing sterilization procedures of dogs. This study aimed to analyse the expression of MSC specific markers before and after in vitro differentiation of ASCs. Three positive and three negative markers were analysed, CD105, CD73, CD90, CD34, CD14 and CD45. There were significant differences detected in the expression of all of the genes, with most of them exhibiting notable downregulation. The only exception, CD14 showed major upregulation after the process of differentiation. These changes confirm the success of differentiation, as well as suggest that this process significantly lowers the stem-like ability of ASCs. This knowledge should serve as a reference for further molecular and clinical studies, possibly aiding the understanding of the internal mechanisms governing the differentiation and stemness of ASCs, to enable their widespread and safe application in regenerative medicine. Running title: Mesenchymal markers during ASC osteogenic differentiation

Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord Lining Membrane-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Hepatocyte-Like Cells

Background. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), isolated from bone marrow, adipose tissue, and umbilical cord tissue, have been known to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells. MSCs can also be easily obtained from umbilical cord lining membrane (CLMSCs). CLMSCs are more primitive MSCs than those isolated from other tissue sources. Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro differentiation of CLMSCs into hepatocyte lineage. Materials and Methods. In this study, CLMSCs were isolated through a tissue attachment method. Cells were characterized for expression of MSC-specific markers and differentiation potency. CLMSCs were induced to differentiate into hepatocytes by a simple two-step protocol. Differentiated cells were examined for the expression of hepatocyte-specific markers and hepatocyte functions. Results. CLMSCs expressed MSC-specific markers and differentiated into adipocytes and osteoblasts. RT-PCR, real-time qRT-PCR, Western blot, and immunocytochemistry analyses demonstrated that differentiated CLMSCs, having hepatocyte-like morphology, expressed several liver-specific markers, such as ALB, AFP, CK18, and CK19, at both mRNA and protein levels following hepatocyte differentiation. Furthermore, periodic acid-Schiff staining and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake assay showed that differentiated cells could store glycogen and uptake LDL. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that CLMSCs can differentiate into functional hepatocyte-like cells. CLMSCs can serve as a favorable cell source for tissue engineering in the treatment of liver disease.

Large-scale expansion of pre-isolated bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells in serum-free conditions

The regenerative potential of mesenchymal stromal or stem cells (MSCs) has generated tremendous interest for treating various degenerative diseases. Regulatory preference is to use a culture medium that is devoid of bovine components for stem cell expansion intended for therapeutic applications. However, a clear choice an alternative to fetal bovine serum (FBS) has not yet emerged. We have screened five different commercially available serum-free media (SFM) for their ability to support the growth and expansion of pre-isolated undifferentiated bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) and compared the results with cells grown in standard FBS-containing medium as control. In addition, based on initial screening results, BD Mosaic™ Mesenchymal Stem Cell Serum-free (BD-SFM) medium was evaluated in large-scale cultures for the performance and culture characteristics of BM-MSCs. Of the five different serum-free media, BD-SFM enhanced BM-MSCs growth and expansion in Cell STACK (CS), but the cell yield per CS-10 was less when compared to the control medium. The characteristics of MSCs were measured in terms of population doubling time (PDT), cell yield and expression of MSC-specific markers. Significant differences were observed between BD-SFM and control medium in terms of population doublings (PDs), cell yield, CFU-F and morphological features, whereas surface phenotype and differentiation potentials were comparable. The BD-SFM-cultured MSCs were also found to retain the differentiation potential, immune-privileged status and immunosuppressive properties inherent to MSCs. Our results suggest that BD-SFM supports large-scale expansion of BM-MSCs for therapeutic use.

210 COMPARATIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS DERIVED FROM MINIATURE PIG SYNOVIUM, SYNOVIAL FLUID AND BONE MARROW

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are a valuable cell source for cartilage tissue engineering because MSC derived from various tissues readily differentiate into skeletal cell and chondrogenic lineages. In this study, we compared the cellular characteristics of synovium (SN) and synovial fluid (SF)-derived MSC with bone marrow (BM)-derived MSC of miniature pig. Biopsies of SN and BM were collected and SF was flushed with saline solution from 6-month-old miniature pig (T-type, PWG Micro-pig, PWG Genetics Korea, South Korea). Cells were isolated from collected tissues and cultured in advanced-DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum at 38.5°C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air. The cells were then evaluated for their expression of MSC-specific markers, including CD29, CD44 and CD90 using flow cytometry. The expression of early transcriptional factors, such as Oct3/4, Nanog and Sox2 was evaluated by immunocytochemical staining and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). Multilineage differentiation of MSC were induced under conditions conductive for osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic lineages and then evaluated by von Kossa and Alizarin Red S staining, Oil red O staining and Alcian Blue staining, respectively. Differentiated cells were further analysed for the expression of lineage specific markers by RT-PCR. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA by SPSS. The SN-, SF- and BM-MSC were observed to be positive for MSC specific markers, such as CD29 (99 ± 0.2, 96 ± 0.5 and 98 ± 0.2, respectively), CD44 (97 ± 0.3, 96 ± 0.6 and 98 ± 0.5, respectively) and CD90 (95 ± 0.5, 92 ± 0.2 and 96 ± 0.3, respectively); however, haematopoietic marker CD45 (2.0 ± 2.1, 3.0 ± 1.3 and 2.0 ± 3.0, respectively) was barely detected. In all MSC, early transcription factors (Oct3/4, Nanog and Sox2) were expressed by immnocytochemical staining and the transcripts were detected by RT-PCR. Following exposure to the specific differentiation medium, all these MSC were capable of differentiating into mesenchymal lineages, such as osteogenic, adiopogenic and chondrogenic as assessed by von Kossa and Alizarin Red S staining, Oil red O staining and and Alcian Blue staining, respectively. In addition, differentiated cells from all MSC expressed the marker genes specific to osteocytes (osteonectin, Runx2), adipocytes (aP2, PRAR-γ2) and chondrocytes (aggrecan, collagen type 2) by RT-PCR. The results of this study suggested that cells isolated from miniature pig articular tissues, such as SN and SF have similar characteristics of MSCs and their differentiation ability was comparable to BM-MSC. Hence, it is possible to establish MSCs from SN and SF as alternate sources during the biopsy of synovial tissues for arthritis diagnosis. Further studies are being carried out to evaluate their in vivo differentiation potential into chondrocytes. This study was supported by Rural Development Administration (grant No. 20110701-305-533-001-02-00) and National Research Foundation of Korea (grant No. 2011-0010252) of the Republic of Korea.

TNF-α Increases Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Migration to Ischemic Tissues

The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of TNF-α on rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and to assess feasibility of MSC transplantation to repair ischemic injury. In this study, adhesion molecules and cell specific surface markers on MSCs were measured after exposure to different concentrations of TNF-α. MSCs stimulated with varying concentrations of TNF-α were cultured with aortic endothelial cells, and the adhesion rate was measured. MSCs were then stimulated with an optimum concentration of TNF-α as determined in vitro, and injected intravenously into rats with ischemic hind limb injury. The number of MSCs in muscle samples from the ischemic area was counted. The results showed that (1) TNF-α induced a concentration-dependent increase in VCAM-1 expression in MSCs, whereas the expression of L-selectin, ICAM-1 and VLA-4 did not change significantly. Expression of MSC-specific antigens was unchanged. (2) MSCs pretreated with 10 ng/ml TNF-α showed significantly increased adhesion to endothelial cells in vitro, and accumulated to a greater extent in the areas of ischemic damage in rat hind limbs. We were able to conclude that TNF-α has no effect on expression of MSC-specific markers, but can increase the expression of VCAM-1 on rat MSCs. Suitable concentrations of TNF-α can promote MSC adhesion to endothelial cells and migration to damaged tissue.