Expression of Neural Markers by Undifferentiated Mesenchymal-Like Stem Cells from Different Sources

Abstract

The spontaneous expression of neural markers, already demonstrated in bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), has been considered as evidence of the MSCs' predisposition to differentiate toward neural lineages, supporting their use in stem cell-based therapy for neural repair. In this study we have evaluated, by immunocytochemistry, immunoblotting, and flow cytometry experiments, the expression of neural markers in undifferentiated MSCs from different sources: human adipose stem cells (hASCs), human skin-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hS-MSCs), human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs,) and human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). Our results demonstrate that the neuronal markers βIII-tubulin and NeuN, unlike other evaluated markers, are spontaneously expressed by a very high percentage of undifferentiated hASCs, hS-MSCs, hPDLSCs, and hDPSCs. Conversely, the neural progenitor marker nestin is expressed only by a high percentage of undifferentiated hPDLSCs and hDPSCs. Our results suggest that the expression of βIII-tubulin and NeuN could be a common feature of stem cells and not exclusive to neuronal cells. This could result in a reassessment of the use of βIII-tubulin and NeuN as the only evidence proving neuronal differentiation. Further studies will be necessary to elucidate the relevance of the spontaneous expression of these markers in stem cells.

Beneficial effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in a non-immune model of demyelination

“…Several investigators have found that MSCs do have the capacity to express neural phenotypic markers in vitro (Singh et al, 2013;Foudah et al, 2014;Mostafavi et al, 2014), as well as following injection into EAE animals (Kassis et al, 2008;Gordon et al, 2010;Matysiak et al, 2011). Our data revealed that few transplanted cells differentiated into the astroglial phenotype but no sign of oligodendroglial differentiation was detected.…”

HEK293 in cell biology and cancer research: phenotype, karyotype, tumorigenicity, and stress-induced genome-phenotype evolution

“…For example, the human breast cancer cell lines co-express the neuronal, epithelial, and melanocytic differentiation markers (Zhang et al, 2010). The human mesenchymal stem cells express neuronal markers in the absence of any differentiative agent (Foudah et al, 2014) as well as after osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation (Foudah et al, 2013). Moreover, transformation of the amniotic fluid-derived cells by Ad5 E1 gene resulted in establishment of cytokeratin and pan-cadherin immunopositive cell line with epithelioid phenotype.…”

T helper (Th)1, Th17 and Th2 imbalance in mesenchymal stem cells of adult patients with atopic dermatitis: at the origin of the problem

“…Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are undifferentiated, multipotent and self‐renewing cells that reside in many adult tissues . In the last decade researchers have deeply analysed MSCs, as recent studies have focused on their possible involvement in the onset of different diseases .…”