Culture of skin-derived precursors and their differentiation into neurons.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the culture method of skin-derived precursors (SKPs) and to explore a new cell source for cell transplantation of central nervous system.


METHODS
Cells from skins of juvenile and adult mice were isolated and cultured in serum-free medium. A mechanical method was chosen to passage these cells and they were identified by the immunocytochemistry assay.


RESULTS
SKPs could be isolated from adult and neonatal skins. They could be maintained in vitro for long periods with stable proliferation, and expanded as undifferentiated cells in culture for more than 12 passages. About 50% of SKPs expressed nestin and majority of these cells expressed fibronectin when they were plated on polyornithine and laminin coated plates. About 5% cells showed neuronal differentiation and expressed neurofilament-M (NF-M) and NSE when SKPs were plated in serum-containing medium, and these cells could also differentiate into adipocytes and fibroblast-like cells.


CONCLUSIONS
The data support the hypothesis that adult skin contains stem cells capable of differentiating into neurons, adipocytes, and fibroblast-like cells. They may represent an alternative autologous stem cell source for CNS cell transplantation.
Yang
Li-ye
LY
Department of Neurosurgery, Chaozhou Central Hospital, Guangdong Province, Chaozhou 521021, China. yangleeyee@sina.com
Zheng
Jia-kun
JK
Liu
Xiang-ming
XM
Hui
Guo-zhen
GZ
Guo
Li-he
LH
D017667:Adipocytes; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009474:Neurons; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation