title: [Induced differentiation of human cord blood monocytes into neuron-like cells in vitro].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To probe the conditions for inducing human cord blood monocytes to differentiate into neuron-like cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mononuclear cells were isolated from human umbilical cord blood samples and plated in 25-mm culture flasks containing DMEM/F12 medium. The fifth passage of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were induced by beta-mercaptoe- thanol (beta-ME), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and conditioned medium for neuron induction, respectively, to differentiate into neuron-like cells. The expression of nestin, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and neurofilament (NF) on the treated cells were detected by immunocytochemical method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nestin expression were found in 6.7% of the primary, 12.4% of the second passage, 20.8% of the fifth passage of MSCs, respectively. Thirty-six percent of cell cultures treated with the conditioned medium for neuron induction were immunoreactive for NSE and NF, and 33% of the cells induced by beta-ME and 25% of the cells by DMSO also expressed NSE and NF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cord blood MSCs possess some features of neural stem cells, and have the capacity to differentiate into neuron-like cells under proper conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510089, China. ltylxlf@gzsums.edu.cn
authors.forename: Tai-Yun
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lu-Lu
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Xiao-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Shan-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D003543:Cysteamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D064231:Nestin; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C577484:NES protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D003543:Cysteamine; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide