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Porcine skin-derived mesenchymal stem cells (pSMSCs) were evaluated on their biological MSC characterizations and differentiation into mesenchymal lineages, along with in vitro and in vivo neural inductions. Isolated pSMSCs showed plate-adherent growth, expression of various MSC-marker proteins and transcriptional factors, and differentiation potential into mesenchymal lineages. Neuron-like cell morphology and various neural markers were highly detected at 6 h and 24 h after in vitro neural induction of pSMSCs, but their neuron-like characteristics disappeared as induction time extended to 48 and 72 h. To evaluate the in vivo peripheral nerve regeneration potential of pSMSCs, a total of 5 × 10(6) autologous pSMSCs labelled with tracking dye, supplemented with fibrin glue scaffold and collagen tubulization, were transplanted into the peripheral nerve defected miniature pigs. At 2 and 4 weeks after cell transplantation, well-preserved transplanted cells and remarkable in vivo nerve regeneration, including histologically complete nerve bundles, were observed in the regenerated nerve tissues. Moreover, S-100 protein and p75 nerve growth factor receptor were more highly detected in regenerated nerve fibres compared to non-cell grafted control fibres. These results suggest that autologous pSMSCs transplanted with fibrin glue scaffold can induce prominent nerve regeneration in porcine peripheral nerve defect sites.

Stem cells from dental tissues have been isolated and established for tooth regenerative applications. However, basic characterization on their biological properties still needs to be investigated before employing them for effective clinical trials. In this study, we compared the telomere length, relative telomerase activity (RTA), and relative reverse transcriptase activity (RRA) as well as the surface antigen profile and mesenchymal differentiation ability in human dental papilla stem cells (DPaSCs), dental pulp stem cells (DPuSCs), and dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs) with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow. Dental stem cells (DSCs) were strongly positive for cell surface markers, such as CD44 and CD90. However, slightly lower expression of CD105 was observed in DPaSCs and DPuSCs compared to DFSCs and MSCs. Following specific induction, DPaSCs, DFSCs, and MSCs were successfully differentiated into adipocytes and osteocytes. However, DPuSCS, in particular, were able to differentiate into adipocytes but failed to induce into osteogenic differentiation. Further, all DSCs, MSCs, and MRC-5 fibroblasts as control were investigated for telomere length by nonradioactive chemiluminescent assay, RTA by relative-quantitative telomerase repeat amplification protocol (RQ-TRAP), and RRA by PCR-based assay. Mean telomere lengths in DPaSCs, DPuSCs, DFSCs, and MSCs was ϳ11 kb, and the values did not differ significantly (p < 0.05) among the cells analyzed. RTA levels in DPaSCs were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in MSCs, DPuSCs, DFSCs, and MRC-5 fibroblasts and among DSCs, DFSCs showed a significantly (p < 0.05) lower RTA. Moreover, RRA levels were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in DPaSCs, DPuSCs, and MSCs than in DFSCs. Based on these observations, we conclude that among DSCs, DPaSCs possessed ideal characteristics on telomere length, telomerase activity and reverse transcriptase (RTase) activity, and may serve as suitable alternative candidates for regenerative medicine.

Abstract. The present study compared the developmental ability of miniature pig embryos cloned with fetal fibroblasts (FFs), bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and differentiated (osteocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes) MSCs. MSCs were isolated from an approximately 1-month-old female miniature pig (T-type, PWG Micro-pig ® , PWG Genetics Korea). MSCs were differentiated into osteocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes under controlled conditions and characterized by cell surface antigen profile using specific markers. These differentiated or undifferentiated MSCs, as well as FFs of miniature pig, were transferred into enucleated oocytes of domestic pigs. Data from 10 replicates involving 1567 cloned embryos were assessed in terms of developmental rates. The in vitro development rate to the blastocyst stage of embryos cloned with undifferentiated MSCs was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of embryos cloned with differentiated MSCs and FFs. Surgical transfer of 523 two-cell stage embryos cloned with undifferentiated MSCs into five synchronized domestic pig recipients resulted in 5 cloned miniature pig offspring (1 stillborn and 4 viable) from 2 pregnant recipients. The results imply that MSCs might be multipotent and that they can be used to produce viable cloned miniature pigs that cannot be easily reproduced with differentiated somatic cells. Key words: Animal cloning, Differentiation, Mesenchymal stem cells, Miniature pig, Nuclear transfer (J. Reprod. Dev. 56: [256][257][258][259][260][261][262] 2010) he production of cloned animals by nuclear transfer (NT) has been increasingly studied as a potential approach to tissue and organ xenotransplantation with reduced immunogenicity for endstage organ failure. Several studies have suggested that miniature pigs, rather than nonhuman-primate species, are suitable as a donor animal for human xenotransplantation [1,2] because miniature pigs are superior in terms of similarities in gross anatomy and physiology to humans as well as in terms of ethical issues. The NT efficiency, however, remains relatively low due to abnormalities throughout pre-and post-implantation development regardless of the species or type of donor cell [3]. A number of factors affect NT efficiency, including the NT technical process, activation protocol, recipient oocyte age, cell cycle stage and type of donor cells, which has been implicated in the precise reprogramming of chromatin and genomic imprinting. Among these factors, incomplete selection of donor cells has also been considered a prime cause for NT inefficiency.Transfer of embryonic stem (ES) cells to produce cloned embryos has resulted in consistently higher numbers of viable offspring compared with somatic cells in mice [4,5]. Moreover, embryos cloned with porcine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their derivatives along the osteogenic lineage give rise to an increase in the rate of preimplantation development compared with adult fibroblasts [6]. Our previous study on gene expression profiles demonstrated that some ge...

In vitro and in vivo osteogenesis of skin-derived mesenchymal stem cell-like cells (SDMSCs) with a demineralized bone (DMB) and fibrin glue scaffold were compared. SDMSCs isolated from the ears of adult miniature pigs were evaluated for the expression of transcriptional factors (Oct-4, Sox-2, and Nanog) and MSC marker proteins (CD29, CD44, CD90, and vimentin). The isolated SDMSCs were cocultured in vitro with a mixed DMB and fibrin glue scaffold in a nonosteogenic medium for 1, 2, and 4 weeks. Osteonectin, osteocalcin, and Runx2 were expressed during the culture period and reached maximum at 2 weeks after in vitro coculture. von Kossa-positive bone minerals were also noted in the cocultured medium at 4 weeks. Autogenous porcine SDMSCs (1 x 10(7)) labeled with a tracking dye, PKH26, were grafted into the maxillary sinus with a DMB and fibrin glue scaffold. In the contralateral side, only a scaffold was grafted without SDMSCs (control). In vivo osteogenesis was evaluated from two animals euthanized at 2 and 4 weeks after grafting. In vivo PKH26 staining was detected in all the specimens at both time points. Trabecular bone formation and osteocalcin expression were more pronounced around the grafted materials in the SDMSC-grafted group compared with the control group. New bone generation was initiated from the periphery to the center of the grafted material. The number of proliferating cells increased over time and reached a peak at 4 weeks in both in vivo and in vitro specimens. These findings suggest that autogenous SDMSC grafting with a DMB and fibrin glue scaffold can serve as a predictable alternative to bone grafting in the maxillary sinus floor.

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