title: Conversion of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in Wharton's jelly to dopaminergic neurons in vitro: potential therapeutic application for Parkinsonism.
abstract: Human mesenchymal stem cells isolated from Wharton's jelly of the umbilical cord were induced to transform into dopaminergic neurons in vitro through stepwise culturing in neuron-conditioned medium, sonic hedgehog, and FGF8. The success rate was 12.7%, as characterized by positive staining for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting catecholaminergic synthesizing enzyme, and dopamine being released into the culture medium. Transplantation of such cells into the striatum of rats previously made Parkinsonian by unilateral striatal lesioning with the dopaminergic neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine partially corrected the lesion-induced amphetamine-evoked rotation. Viability of the transplanted cells at least 4 months after transplantation was identified by positive TH staining and migration of 1.4 mm both rostrally and caudally. These results suggest that human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells have the potential for treatment of Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: 155 Sec. 2, Li-Nung Street, 112, Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. ysfu@ym.edu.tw
authors.forename: Yu-Show
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Yun-Chih
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Maan-Yuh Anya
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Henrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Pei-Ming
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Shih-Chich
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Yang-Hsin
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: Miau-Hwa
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Min-Shan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D036101:Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012399:Rotation; D013997:Time Factors; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D000661:Amphetamine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine