title: Identification of rabbit annulus fibrosus-derived stem cells.
abstract: Annulus fibrosus (AF) injuries can lead to substantial deterioration of intervertebral disc (IVD) which characterizes degenerative disc disease (DDD). However, treatments for AF repair/regeneration remain challenging due to the intrinsic heterogeneity of AF tissue at cellular, biochemical, and biomechanical levels. In this study, we isolated and characterized a sub-population of cells from rabbit AF tissue which formed colonies in vitro and could self-renew. These cells showed gene expression of typical surface antigen molecules characterizing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), including CD29, CD44, and CD166. Meanwhile, they did not express negative markers of MSCs such as CD4, CD8, and CD14. They also expressed Oct-4, nucleostemin, and SSEA-4 proteins. Upon induced differentiation they showed typical osteogenesis, chondrogenesis, and adipogenesis potential. Together, these AF-derived colony-forming cells possessed clonogenicity, self-renewal, and multi-potential differentiation capability, the three criteria characterizing MSCs. Such AF-derived stem cells may potentially be an ideal candidate for DDD treatments using cell therapies or tissue engineering approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; Orthopedic Institute, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; Orthopedic Institute, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Qianping
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Institute, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Shenghao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Institute, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Yibin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; Orthopedic Institute, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; Orthopedic Institute, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Huilin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000166:cytology*; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D011817:Rabbits; D012038:Regeneration
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers