title: Isolation and characterization of equine amniotic fluid-derived multipotent stem cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Amniotic fluid (AF) is a well-known source of stem cells. However, there have been no reports regarding equine AF stem cells. We have isolated equine AF-derived multipotent stem cells (MSC) (eAF-MSC) and show that these cells exhibit self-renewal ability and multilineage differentiation.
  
  
  METHODS
  AF was obtained from thoroughbred mares and mononuclear cells (MNC) were isolated by Ficoll-Paque density gradient. We measured the cumulative population doubling level (CPDL) and characterized the immunophenotype by flow cytometry. To investigate differentiation ability, a trilineage differentiation assay was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  eAF-MSC could be isolated and the proliferation level was high. eAF-MSC presented typical MSC phenotypic markers, as determined by flow cytometry. Moreover, eAF-MSC showed a trilineage differentiation capability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Equine AF is a good source of MSC. Furthermore, eAF-MSC may be useful as a cell therapy application for horses.
authors.affiliation: Adult Stem Cell Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Bum
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Min-Soo
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Jun-Gu
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Joon-Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.forename: Kyung-Sun
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D050156:Adipogenesis; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020219:Chondrogenesis; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010012:Osteogenesis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid