title: Comparison of the neural differentiation potential of human mesenchymal stem cells from amniotic fluid and adult bone marrow.
abstract: Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered a promising tool for cell-based therapies of nervous system diseases. Bone marrow (BM) has been the traditional source of MSCs (BM-MSCs). However, there are some limitations for their clinical use, such as the decline in cell number and differentiation potential with age. Recently, amniotic fluid (AF)-derived MSCs (AF-MSCs) have been shown to express embryonic and adult stem cell markers, and can differentiate into cells of all three germ layers. In this study, we isolated AF-MSCs from second-trimester AF by limiting dilution and compared their proliferative capacity, multipotency, neural differentiation ability, and secretion of neurotrophins to those of BM-MSCs. AF-MSCs showed a higher proliferative capacity and more rapidly formed and expanded neurospheres compared to those of BM-MSCs. Both immunocytochemical and quantitative real-time PCR analyses demonstrated that AF-MSCs showed higher expression of neural stemness markers than those of BM-MSCs following neural stem cell (NSC) differentiation. Furthermore, the levels of brain-derived growth factor and nerve growth factor secreted by AF-MSCs in the culture medium were higher than those of BM-MSCs. In addition, AF-MSCs maintained a normal karyotype in long-term cultures after NSC differentiation and were not tumorigenic in vivo. Our findings suggest that AF-MSCs are a promising and safe alternative to BM-MSCs for therapy of nervous system diseases.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Institute, Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration of Guangdong, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Jie
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yu-Qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Hong-Tian
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zong-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Xin-Lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ying-Qian
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Chang-Chen
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ru-Xiang
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002469:Cell Separation; D048430:Cell Shape; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D033481:Chromosomes, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007621:Karyotyping; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors