Hepatogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue in comparison with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Figure 1 Hepatic differentiation protocol by sequential addition of exogenous factors according to embryogenesis. Passage 2 cultures at 85% of confluency were used for differentiation assays. Cells were pre-cultured in serum-free medium supplemented with EGF and bFGF for 2 d (Conditioning step). Then cells were cultured in medium supplemented with HGF, bFGF and nicotinamide, for 7 d (Step-1 differentiation). Finally cells were cultured in maturation medium supplemented with OMS, dexamethasone, and ITS + premix (insulin, transferrin, selenious acid, BSA and linoleic acid) up to 21 d (Step-2 differentiation; maturation). Media were changed twice a week and hepatic differentiation was assessed at different time points.