title: Isolation and characterization of lung resident mesenchymal stem cells capable of differentiating into alveolar epithelial type II cells.
abstract: Controversies and risks continue to be reported about exogenous mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies. In contrast with employing exogenous stem cells, making use of lung resident mesenchymal stem cells (LR-MSCs) could be advantageous. Our study sought to isolate the LR-MSCs and explore their potential to differentiate into alveolar epithelial type II cells (ATII cells). Total lung cells were first precultured, from which the Sca-1(+) CD45(-) CD31(-) population was purified using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). By these methods, it would seem that the Sca-1(+) CD45(-) CD31(-) cells were LR-MSCs. Similar to bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), these cells express Sca-1, CD29, CD90, CD44 and CD106, but not CD31 or CD45. They share the same gene expression file with the BM-MSCs and have a similar DNA content during long-term culturing. Furthermore, they could be serially passaged with all these properties being sustained. Above all, LR-MSCs could differentiate into ATII cells when co-cultured with ATII cells in a trans-well system. These findings demonstrated that the Sca-1(+) CD45(-) CD31(-) cells appear to be LR-MSCs that can differentiate into ATII cells. This approach may hold promise for their use in the treatment of lung disease.
authors.affiliation: Immunology and Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Medical College of Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing, 210093, China; State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
authors.forename: Xuemin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Zhaorui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Xiaomeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Huiming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Lihui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D000950:Antigens, Ly; C074650:Ly6a protein, mouse; D008565:Membrane Proteins
keywords: alveolar epithelial type II cells; differentiation; fluorescence activated cell sorting; lung resident mesenchymal stem cells; stem cell antigen-1