title: Osteogenic differentiation of placenta-derived multipotent cells in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Stem cells offer great potential for clinical therapeutic use because of their ability to rejuvenate and to differentiate into numerous types of cells. We isolated multipotent cells from the human term placenta that were capable of differentiation into cells of all three germ layers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the ability of these placenta-derived multipotent cells (PDMCs) to differentiate into osteoblasts (OBs) or OB-like cells. The PDMCs were treated with osteogenic medium (OM) consisting of dexamethasone, β-glycerol phosphate, and ascorbic acid. At sequential time intervals (0 day, 3 days, 6 days, 9 days, and 12 days) we measured several parameters. These included alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, alizarin red staining (ARS) to measure calcium deposition, messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions of osteogenesis-related transcription factor (Cbfa1), and calcium coordination protein (osteocalcin). These variables were used as indicators of PDMC osteodifferentiation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We showed that ALP activity in the early stage of differentiation and calcium deposition were both significantly increased in PDMCs after OM induction. Moreover, the Cbfa1 and osteocalcin gene expressions were upregulated. The results suggested that OM induced an osteodifferentiation potential in PDMCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PDMC-derived osteocytes provide a useful model to evaluate the mechanisms of key biomolecules and bioengineering processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sijhih Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Chien
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Ang
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Cathay Medical Research Institute, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Li-Chiu
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Anesthesiology, Sijhih Cathay General Hospital, Sijhih City, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan; Cathay Medical Research Institute, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: yccheng@cgh.org.tw.
authors.forename: Yu-Che
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000235:genetics; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D010920:Placenta; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015675:Osteocalcin; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D002118:Calcium
keywords: differentiation; osteogenesis; placenta-derived multipotent cells (PDMCs)