PDGF, NT-3 and IGF-2 in combination induced transdifferentiation of muscle-derived stem cells into Schwann cell-like cells.
Muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) are multipotent stem cells with a remarkable long-term self-renewal and regeneration capacity. Here, we show that postnatal MDSCs could be transdifferentiated into Schwann cell-like cells upon the combined treatment of three neurotrophic factors (PDGF, NT-3 and IGF-2). The transdifferentiation of MDSCs was initially induced by Schwann cell (SC) conditioned medium. MDSCs adopted a spindle-like morphology similar to SCs after the transdifferentiation. Immunocytochemistry and immunoblot showed clearly that the SC markers S100, GFAP and p75 were expressed highly only after the transdifferentiation. Flow cytometry assay showed that the portion of S100 expressed cells was more than 60 percent and over one fourth of the transdifferentiated cells expressed all the three SC markers, indicating an efficient transdifferentiation. We then tested neurotrophic factors in the conditioned medium and found it was PDGF, NT-3 and IGF-2 in combination that conducted the transdifferentiation. Our findings demonstrate that it is possible to use specific neurotrophic factors to transdifferentiate MDSCs into Schwann cell-like cells, which might be therapeutically useful for clinical applications.
Department of Plastic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China ; Department of Plastic Surgery, No. 411 Hospital of CPLA, Shanghai, China.
Yi
Y
Tang
Department of Neurosurgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Hua
H
He
Department of Transfusion, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Ning
N
Cheng
Department of Plastic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Yanling
Y
Song
Department of Plastic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Weijin
W
Ding
Department of Plastic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Yingfan
Y
Zhang
Department of Hematology, XinHua Hospital, Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Wenhao
W
Zhang
Department of Plastic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Jie
J
Zhang
Department of Mathematics, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Heng
H
Peng
Department of Plastic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Hua
H
Jiang
D000818:Animals; D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000494:pharmacology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D032342:Muscle Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D010641:Phenotype; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*
D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; C518911:neurotropin 3, mouse; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II