title: MePR: a novel human mesenchymal progenitor model with characteristics of pluripotency.
abstract: Human embryo stem cells or adult tissues are excellent models for discovery and characterization of differentiation processes. The aims of regenerative medicine are to define the molecular and physiological mechanisms that govern stem cells and differentiation. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are multipotent adult stem cells that are able to differentiate into a variety of cell types under controlled conditions both in vivo and in vitro, and they have the remarkable ability of self-renewal. hMSCs derived from amniotic fluid and characterized by the expression of Oct-4 and Nanog, typical markers of pluripotent cells, represent an excellent model for studies on stemness. Unfortunately, the limited amount of cells available from each donation and, above all, the limited number of replications do not allow for detailed studies. Here, we report on the immortalization and characterization of novel mesenchymal progenitor (MePR) cell lines from amniotic fluid-derived hMSCs, whose biological properties are similar to primary amniocytes. Our data indicate that MePR cells display the multipotency potential and differentiation rates of hMSCs, thus representing a useful model to study both mechanisms of differentiation and pharmacological approaches to induce selective differentiation. In particular, MePR-2B cells, which carry a bona fide normal karyotype, might be used in basic stem cell research, leading to the development of new approaches for stem cell therapy and tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica, Biofisica e Patologia Generale, Seconda Università di Napoli , Napoli, Italy .
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miceli
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Franci
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dell'Aversana
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ricciardiello
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petraglia
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carissimo
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perone
authors.forename: Giuseppe Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Maruotti
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Savarese
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cancemi
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Altucci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C486780:NANOG protein, human; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3