Full Length Research Paper
Abstract
Previous controversy exists as to whether umbilical cord (UC) can serve as a source of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with their characteristics. Different methods and reagents have been used to induce the differentiation of UC-MSCs into functional cells. We investigated the isolation of UC-MSCs and their potential differentiation into neurons, cardiomyocytes and germ cells in vitro. The phenotypes, proliferation potential and markers of UC-MSCs were analysed by growth curves, RT-PCR and immunofluorescence, respectively. Then the cells were induced into neurons, cardiomyocytes and germ cells besides osteoblasts and adipocytes. Here, we report to obtain single cell-derived, clonally expanded MSCs that are of multilineage differentiation potential. The immunophenotype of these cells is consistent withthose reported in bone marrow MSCs and embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Surprisingly, these cells can differentiate into cardiomyocytes, neural cells, even germ cells besides osteoblasts and adipocytes under appropriate induction conditions. Thus, these cells may be multipotent MSCs as evidenced by their ability to differentiate into cell types of all three germ layers. These cells may serve as an alternative source of MSCs to bone marrow and this will provide us a model to study the mechanism of cardiomyocyte, neural cell, even germ cell differentiation and new strategies for the therapy of infertility and sterility.
Key words: Multipotent, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), umbilical cord (UC), cardiomyocyte, neural cells; germ cells.
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