Multiple differentiation potentials of neonatal dura mater-derived cells.
OBJECTIVE
The involvement of the dura mater in calvarial development and bone healing lead to a hypothesis that progenitor cells with multiple differentiation potentials exist within this tissue. The present study investigated the differentiation potentials of dura mater-derived cells by driving them into several cell-restricted lineages.


METHODS
Dissected dura mater tissue of neonatal rats was washed, finely minced, and enzymatically digested. The harvested cells were exposed to different differentiation (osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic) and basic media.


RESULTS
At defined time points, dura mater-derived cells were observed to differentiate into osteoblastic, adipoblastic, and chondroblastic cells, evidenced by specific biochemical staining. In addition, gene expressions of osteogenesis (alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and osteopontin), chondrogenesis (collagen Type II and aggrecan core protein) and adipogenesis (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma-2) were up-regulated in the differentiated dura mater-derived cells, confirmed by polymerase chain reaction.


CONCLUSIONS
Preliminarily, it was concluded that a subpopulation of multiple potential mesenchymal cells exists in neonatal dura mater, which explains the function of the dura mater on neurocranium development and calvarial bone healing.
Peptan
Ioana A
IA
Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612-7211, USA.
Hong
Liu
L
Evans
Carla A
CA
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley