title: Induction of mesenchymal/epithelial marker expression in human amniotic fluid stem cells.
abstract: Although dialysis and transplantation are widely applied therapies for renal failure, drawbacks such as morbidity, shortage of compatible organs and high cost are limiting factors. Recently, interest has increased in the potential use of stem cells for the repair of kidney injury, which has been considered as an alternative therapeutic strategy. Due to their high proliferation rates, their pluripotent differentiation potential, the finding that they do not induce tumour formation and the fact that they do not raise the ethical concerns connected with human embryonic stem cells, human amniotic fluid stem cells are considered to be a very promising cell source. This study demonstrates that the expression of the mesenchymal markers CD29 and CD44, the epithelial markers CD51 and ZO-1 and the podocyte markers CD2AP and NPHS2 can be induced in these cells via incubation with epidermal growth factor/platelet-derived growth factor BB and fibroblast growth factor 4/hepatocyte growth factor, respectively. Since podocytes are visceral epithelial cells in the kidneys, which form the essential part of the glomerular filtration barrier, these findings warrant further investigation of the potential use of human amniotic fluid stem cells for cell-based kidney therapies.
authors.affiliation: Medical Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Nicol
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valli
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosner
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hengstschläger
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D000077214:Becaplermin; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051519:Fibroblast Growth Factor 4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D039564:Integrin alphaV / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D015415:Biomarkers; C114545:CD2-associated protein; C497483:CD44 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D051519:Fibroblast Growth Factor 4; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D039564:Integrin alphaV; D019012:Integrin beta1; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C407223:NPHS2 protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; C569042:TJP1 protein, human; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; D000077214:Becaplermin