title: Comparative evaluation of differentiation potential of menstrual blood- versus bone marrow-derived stem cells into hepatocyte-like cells.
abstract: Menstrual blood has been introduced as an easily accessible and refreshing stem cell source with no ethical consideration. Although recent works have shown that menstrual blood stem cells (MenSCs) possess multi lineage differentiation capacity, their efficiency of hepatic differentiation in comparison to other stem cell resources has not been addressed so far. The aim of this study was to investigate hepatic differentiation capacity of MenSCs compared to bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) under protocols developed by different concentrations of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and oncostatin M (OSM) in combination with other components in serum supplemented or serum-free culture media. Such comparison was made after assessment of immunophenotye, trans-differentiation potential, immunogenicity and tumorigeicity of these cell types. The differential expression of mature hepatocyte markers such as albumin (ALB), cytokeratin 18 (CK-18), tyrosine aminotransferase and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activities (CYP7A1) at both mRNA and protein levels in differentiating MenSCs was significantly higher in upper concentration of HGF and OSM (P1) compared to lower concentration of these factors (P2). Moreover, omission of serum during differentiation process (P3) caused typical improvement in functions assigned to hepatocytes in differentiated MenSCs. While up-regulation level of ALB and CYP7A1 was higher in differentiated MenSCs compared to driven BMSCs, expression level of CK-18, detected level of produced ALB and glycogen accumulation were lower or not significantly different. Therefore, based on the overall comparable hepatic differentiation ability of MenSCs with BMSCs, and also accessibility, refreshing nature and lack of ethical issues of MenSCs, these cells could be suggested as an apt and safe alternative to BMSCs for future stem cell therapy of chronic liver diseases.
authors: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Sayeh
authors: S
authors: Khanjani
authors: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Manijeh
authors: M
authors: Khanmohammadi
authors: Nanobiotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran ; Immunology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Amir-Hassan
authors: AH
authors: Zarnani
authors: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Mohammad-Mehdi
authors: MM
authors: Akhondi
authors: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Ahani
authors: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Zahra
authors: Z
authors: Ghaempanah
authors: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Mohammad Mehdi
authors: MM
authors: Naderi
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
authors: Saman
authors: S
authors: Eghtesad
authors: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Somaieh
authors: S
authors: Kazemnejad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation