title: Ear mesenchymal stem cells: an efficient adult multipotent cell population fit for rapid and scalable expansion.
abstract: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) have the potential to be used for tissue engineering. Nevertheless, they exhibit a low growth rate that limits their availability. In this work we use an alternative model of MSCs from the outer ear (ear mesenchymal stem cells, E-MSCs). These cells bear the characteristics of progenitor cells because of their ability to be differentiated into the three lineages of chondrocytes, osteocytes and adipocytes. This model cell population had a threefold higher cell growth rate compared to BM-MSCs. This allowed rapid testing of the scalability in microcarrier culture using bead-to-bead transfer and also enabled their expansion in a 1-l bioreactor. The cells were able to maintain their potential for differentiation into the above three lineages. Therefore, E-MSCs appear to be an attractive model for assessing a number of bioengineering parameters that may affect the behavior of adult stem cells in culture.
authors.affiliation: Université Catholique de Louvain/Institut des Sciences de La Vie, Unit of Bioengineering, Place Croix du Sud 2/19, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sart
authors.forename: Yves-Jacques
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Spiros N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Agathos
mesh_terms: D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D019149:Bioreactors; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004431:Ear, External / Q000166:cytology*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers