Brief Article
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World J Stem Cells. Apr 26, 2013; 5(2): 53-60
Published online Apr 26, 2013. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v5.i2.53
Comparison of phenotypic markers and neural differentiation potential of multipotent adult progenitor cells and mesenchymal stem cells
Saurabh Pratap Singh, Naresh Kumar Tripathy, Soniya Nityanand
Saurabh Pratap Singh, Naresh Kumar Tripathy, Soniya Nityanand, Stem Cell Research Facility, Department of Hematology, Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow 226014, India
Author contributions: Tripathy NK and Nityanand S designed the work; Singh SP carried out the experimental work; Singh SP, Tripathy NK and Nityanand S analyzed the results; Singh SP and Tripathy NK wrote the manuscript; Tripathy NK and Nityanand S reviewed and finalized the manuscript.
Supported by The Grant-in-Aid entitled “Stem cells for regenerative medicine: Isolation of Multipotent adult Progenitor Cells from Human Bone Marrow and their Clonal Expansion and Differentiation into Cardiomyocytes, Hepatocytes and Beta-islets” No. BT/PR6303/MED/14/776/2005, sanctioned by Department of Biotechnology, Government of India
Correspondence to: Dr. Soniya Nityanand, MD, PhD, FNASc, FASc, Professor, Head, Stem Cell Research Facility, Department of Hematology, Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226014, India. soniya_nityanand@yahoo.co.in
Telephone: +91-522-2494291 Fax: +91-522-2668017
Received: October 30, 2012
Revised: January 31, 2013
Accepted: February 5, 2013
Published online: April 26, 2013
Abstract

AIM: To compare the phenotypic and neural differentiation potential of human bone marrow derived multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPC) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC).

METHODS: Cultures of MAPC and MSC were established in parallel from same samples of human bone marrow (n = 5). Both stem cell types were evaluated for expression of pluripotency markers including Oct-4 and Nanog by immunocytochemistry and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and expression of standard mesenchymal markers including CD14, CD34, CD44, CD45, CD73, CD90, CD105 and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-ABC by flow cytometry. After treatment with neural induction medium both MAPC and MSC were evaluated for expression of neural proteins [neuronal filament-200 (NF-200) and glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP)] by immunocytochemistry and Western blotting and neural genes [NF-200, GFAP, Tau, microtubule-associated protein (MAP)-1B, MAP-2, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and oligodendrocyte-1 (Olig-1)] by quantitative real-time-PCR.

RESULTS: MAPC had small trigonal shaped while MSC had elongated spindle-shaped morphology. The MAPC expressed Oct-4 and Nanog both at gene and protein levels, whereas MSC were negative for these pluripotent markers. MAPC were negative for HLA-ABC while MSC had high expression of HLA-ABC. In addition, MAPC as compared to MSC had significantly lower expression of CD44 (36.56% ± 1.92% vs 98.23% ± 0.51%), CD73 (15.11% ± 2.24% vs 98.53% ± 2.22%) and CD105 (13.81% ± 3.82% vs 95.12% ± 5.65%) (P < 0.001, for all) MAPC cultures compared to MSC cultures treated with neural induction medium had significantly higher fold change expression of NF-200 (0.64), GFAP (0.52), Tau (0.59), MAP-2 (0.72), Olig-1 (0.18) and NSE (0.29) proteins (P < 0.01 for Olig-1 and P < 0.001 for rest) as well as higher fold change expression of genes of NF-200 (1.34), GFAP (1.12), Tau (1.08), MAP-1B (0.92), MAP-2 (1.14) and NSE (0.4) (P < 0.001 for all).

CONCLUSION: MAPC can be differentially characterized from MSC as Oct-4 and Nanog positive stem cells with no expression of HLA-ABC and low expression of mesenchymal markers CD44, CD73 and CD105 and when compared to MSC they possess greater predilection for differentiation into neuro-ectodermal lineage.

Keywords: Bone marrow, Human multipotent adult progenitor cells, Human mesenchymal, Stem cells, Phenotypic markers, Neural differentiation