Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells derived from Wharton's jelly differentiate into insulin-producing cells in vitro.
(2/21)
BACKGROUND: Islet transplantation is an effective way of reversing type I diabetes. However, islet transplantation is hampered by issues such as immune rejection and shortage of donor islets. Mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into insulin-producing cells. However, the potential of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (huMSCs) to become insulin-producing cells remains undetermined. METHODS: We isolated and induced cultured huMSCs under islet cell culture conditions. The response of huMSCs were monitored under an inverted phase contrast microscope. Immunocytochemical and immunofluorescence staining methods were used to measure insulin and glucagon protein levels. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect gene expression of human insulin and PDX-1. Dithizone-staining was employed to determine the zinc contents in huMSCs. Insulin secretion was also evaluated through radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: HuMSCs induced by nicotinamide and beta-mercaptoethanol or by neurogenic differentiation 1 gene (NeuroD1) transfection gradually changed morphology from typically elongated fibroblast-shaped cells to round cells. They had a tendency to form clusters. Immunocytochemical studies showed positive expression of human insulin and glucagon in these cells in response to induction. RT-PCR experiments found that huMSCs expressed insulin and PDX-1 genes following induction and dithizone stained the cytoplasm of huMSCs a brownish red color after induction. Insulin secretion in induced huMSCs was significantly elevated compared with the control group (t = 6.183, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HuMSCs are able to differentiate into insulin-producing cells in vitro. The potential use of huMSCs in beta cell replacement therapy of diabetes needs to be studied further. (+info)
Immunomodulatory effect of human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells on lymphocytes.
(3/21)
Isolation, characterization and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells from amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood and Wharton's jelly in the horse.
(6/21)
Isolation and characterization of Wharton's jelly-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells obtained from bovine umbilical cord and maintained in a defined serum-free three-dimensional system.
(7/21)
Effect of substrate stiffness on differentiation of umbilical cord stem cells.
(8/21)
Tissue formation and maintenance is regulated by various factors, including biological, physiological and physical signals transmitted between cells as well as originating from cell-substrate interactions. In our study, the osteogenic potential of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells isolated from umbilical cord Wharton's jelly (UC-MSCs) was investigated in relation to the substrate rigidity on polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAM). Osteogenic differentiation of UC-MSCs was enhanced on stiff substrate compared to soft substrates, illustrating that the mechanical environment can play a role in differentiation of this type of cells. These results show that substrate stiffness can regulate UC-MSCs differentiation, and hence may have significant implications for design of biomaterials with appropriate mechanical properties for regenerative medicine. (+info)