title: Human chorion-derived stem cells: changes in stem cell properties during serial passage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fetal membrane from human placenta tissue has been described as a potential source of stem cells. Despite abundant literature on amnion stem cells, there are limited studies on the stem cell properties of chorion-derived stem cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main aim was to determine the stemness properties of serial-passaged human chorion-derived stem cells (hCDSC). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to reveal the following stemness gene expression in serial-passaged hCDSC: Oct-4, Sox-2, FGF-4, Rex-1, TERT, Nanog (3), Nestin, FZD-9, ABCG-2 and BST-1. Cell growth rate was evaluated from passage (P) 1 until P5. The colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) frequency of P3 and P5 cells and multilineage differentiation potential of P5 cells were determined. The immunophenotype of hCDSC was compared using the surface markers CD9, CD31, CD34, CD44, CD45, CD73, CD90, CD117, HLA-ABC and HLA-DR, -DP and -DQ. Immunostaining for trophoblast markers was done on P0, P1, P3 and P5 cells to detect the contamination of trophoblasts in culture, while chromosomal abnormality was screened by cytogenetic analysis of P5 cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The surface markers for mesenchymal lineage in hCDSC were more highly expressed at P5 compared with P3 and P0, indicating the increased purity of these stem cells after serial passage. Indeed, all the stemness genes except TERT were expressed at P1, P3 and P5 hCDSC. Furthermore, human chorion contained high clonogenic precursors with a 1:30 CFU-F frequency. Successful adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation demonstrated the multilineage potential of hCDSC. The karyotyping analysis showed hCDSC maintained chromosomal stability after serial passage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  hCDSC retain multipotent potential even at later passages, hence are a promising source for cell therapy in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohd-Manzor Nur
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Fariha
authors.forename: Kien-Hui
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: Geok-Chin
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Ay-Eeng
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Abdul-Rahman
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hayati
mesh_terms: D050156:Adipogenesis; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020219:Chondrogenesis; D002823:Chorion / Q000166:cytology*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010012:Osteogenesis; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface