Differentiation of human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells into germ-like cells in vitro.
Recent studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells could differentiate into germ cells under appropriate conditions. We sought to determine whether human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) could form germ cells in vitro. HUMSCs were induced to differentiate into germ cells in all-trans retinoic acid, testosterone and testicular-cell-conditioned medium prepared from newborn male mouse testes. HUMSCs formed "tadpole-like" cells after induction with different reagents and showed both mRNA and protein expression of germ-cell-specific markers Oct4 (POUF5), Ckit, CD49(f) (alpha6), Stella (DDPA3), and Vasa (DDX4). Our results may provide a new route for reproductive therapy involving HUMSCs and a novel in vitro model to investigate the molecular mechanisms that regulate the development of the mammalian germ lineage.
Huang
Peng
P
Department of Pediatrics, Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College (SUMC), Shantou, PR China.
Lin
Li Min
LM
Wu
Xiao Ying
XY
Tang
Qiu Ling
QL
Feng
Xue Yong
XY
Lin
Guang Yu
GY
Lin
Xiaobo
X
Wang
Hong Wu
HW
Huang
Tian Hua
TH
Ma
Lian
L
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000494:pharmacology; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014470:Umbilical Cord
D015415:Biomarkers; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D013739:Testosterone; D014212:Tretinoin