• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.283-295
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• 2016

Objectives: In this study, we characterized human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) obtained by different culture methods to establish the most suitable methodology for dental tissue engineering and regenerative endodontic applications. Materials and Methods: HDPCs were isolated by the outgrowth method (HDPCs-OG), the enzymatic digestion method (collagenase/dispase/trypsin, HDPCs-ED), or the combination of both methods (HDPCs-Combined). The expression of mesenchymal stem cell markers (CD105, CD90, and CD73) was investigated. In vitro differentiation capacities of HDPCs into adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic lineages were compared. Differentiation markers were analyzed by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting. Results: Our data indicated that whole HDPCs-ED, HPDCs-OG, and HDPCs-Combined could be differentiated into adipogenic, chrondrogenic, and osteogenic cell types. However, we found that the methods for isolating and culturing HDPCs influence the differentiation capacities of cells. HDPCs-OG and HDPCs-ED were preferably differentiated into adipogenic and osteogenic cells, respectively. Differentiation markers shown by RT-PCR and western blotting analysis were mostly upregulated in the treated groups compared with the control groups. Conclusions: Our findings confirmed that cell populations formed by two different culture methods and the combined culture method exhibited different properties. The results of this study could provide an insight into regenerative endodontic treatment using HDPCs.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.528-533
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• 2009

본 연구에서는 사람 제대혈로부터 간엽줄기세포를 분리하고, 이들을 체외에서 다량 증식시키며, 나아가 이들 간엽줄기세포를 특정한 세포로 분화시키고자 하였다. 사람의 제대혈로부터 단핵세포를 Ficoll-density gradient 법으로 분리하고, 이를 10% 우태아혈청, L-glutamnie, 및 항생제가 첨가된 DMEM 배양액과 Keratinocyte 배양액으로 $37^{\circ}C$ 5% $CO_2$ 배양조건에서 계대배양으로 증식시키고 현미경으로 줄기세포의 발달과 형태학적 성상을 확인하였으며, PAS 염색 및 PACS 분석으로 간엽줄기세포임을 확인하였다. 이들은 체외에서 연골세포로 분화를 유도하였고, 이들 분화된 줄기세포는 면역조직화학적 검사법으로 연골세포 특이 물질에 대한 Safranin O 염색법 및 Type II collagen 염색법을 실시하여 이들의 발현을 확인하였으며 RT-PCR을 실시하여 특이 mRNA 발현을 확인함으로서 연골세포로 분화된 것임을 확인하였다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권10호
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• pp.5579-5587
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• 2013

Research indicates that a small population of cancer cells is highly tumorigenic, endowed with the capacity for self-renewal, and has the ability to differentiate into cells that constitute the bulk of tumors. These cells are considered the "drivers" of the tumorigenic process in some tumor types, and have been named cancer stem cells (CSC). Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) appears to be involved in the process leading to the acquisition of stemness by epithelial tumor cells. Through this process, cells acquire an invasive phenotype that may contribute to tumor recurrence and metastasis. CSC have been identified in human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) using markers such as CD133 and CD44 expression, and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. Head and neck cancer stem cells reside primarily in perivascular niches in the invasive fronts where endothelial-cell initiated events contribute to their survival and function. Clinically, CSC enrichment has been shown to be enhanced in recurrent disease, treatment failure and metastasis. CSC represent a novel target of study given their slow growth and innate mechanisms conferring treatment resistance. Further understanding of their unique phenotype may reveal potential molecular targets to improve therapeutic and survival outcomes in patients with HNSCC. Here, we discuss the state-of-the-knowledge on the pathobiology of cancer stem cells, with a focus on the impact of these cells on head and neck tumor progression, metastasis and recurrence due to treatment failure.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.202-214
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: To investigate the role of exosomes from periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) migration. Methods and Results: Human PDLCs were applied cyclic tension stretching. Exosomes were extracted from cultured PDLCs by ultracentrifugation, then characterized for their size, morphology and protein markers by NTA, TEM and western blotting. The process that PKH26-labeled exosomes taken up by BMSCs was assessed by confocal microscope. BMSC migration was examined by Transwell assay. Exosomes derived from PDLCs were identified. Cyclic tension stretch application on PDLCs can enhance the migration ability of BMSCs through exosomes. The exosomal miRNA expression profiles of unstretched and stretched PDLCs were tested by miRNA microarray. Four miRNAs (miR-4633-5p, miR-30c-5p, miR-371a-3p and let-7b-3p) were upregulated and six (miR-4689, miR-8485, miR-4655-3p, miR-4672, miR-3180-5p and miR-4476) were downregulated in the exosomes after stretching. Sixteen hub proteins were found in the miRNA-mRNA network. Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway analyses demonstrated that the target genes of differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs closely related to the PI3K pathway and vesicle transmission. Conclusions: The exosomes derived from cyclic tension-stretched PDLCs can promote the migration of BMSCs. Alternation of microRNA profiles provides a basis for further research on the regulatory function of the exosomal miRNAs of PDLCs during orthodontic tooth movement.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.77-82
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• 2018

The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that reside in dental tissues hold a great potential for future applications in regenerative dentistry. In this study, we used human dental pulp cells, isolated from the molars (DPCs), in order to establish the organoid culture. DPCs were established after growing pulp cells in an MSC expansion media (MSC-EM). DPCs were subjected to organoid growth media (OGM) in comparison with human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). Inside the extracellular matrix in the OGM, the DPCs and DPSCs readily formed vessel-like structures, which were not observed in the MSC-EM. Immunocytochemistry analysis and flow cytometry analysis showed the elevated expression of CD31 in the DPCs and DPSCs cultured in the OGM. These results suggest endothelial cell-prone differentiation of the DPCs and DPSCs in organoid culture condition.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.31.1-31.8
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• 2024

Background: Recently, there has been a growing interest in stem cells for human medicine. Limited feline endometrial mesenchymal stem cell (fEM-MSC) research in veterinary medicine necessitates reporting for future feline disease research and therapy. Objectives: This study aimed to isolate fEM-MSCs from feline endometrial tissues and evaluate their morphology, proliferative ability, differentiation ability, and immunophenotype. Methods: Feline endometrial tissues were obtained from the ovariohysterectomies of healthy cats and isolated using an enzymatic method. The morphology and proliferative ability of the isolated cells were assessed using a doubling time (DT) assay from passages 3 to 6 (P3 - P6). We measured pluripotency gene expressions of cells in P2 using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). To investigate MSC characteristics, a trilineage differentiation assay was conducted in P4, and cells in P4 were immunophenotyped using flow cytometry. Results: fEM-MSCs showed a typical spindle-shaped morphology under a microscope, and the DT was maintained from P3 to P6. fEM-MSCs could differentiate into adipocytes, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes, and expressed three pluripotency markers (OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG) by qRT-PCR. Immunophenotypic analysis showed that the fEM-MSCs were CD14 ^-, CD34 ^-, CD45 ^-, CD9⁺, and CD44⁺. Conclusions: In this study, the feline endometrium was a novel source of MSCs, and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the isolation method and characteristics of fEM-MSCs.

• 한국동물생명공학회지
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.93-99
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• 2019

Telomeres are known as a specialized region in the end of chromosomes to protect DNA destruction, but their lengths are shortened by repetition of cell division. This telomere shortening can be preserved or be elongated by telomerase and TERT expression. Although a certain condition in the cells may affect to the cellular and molecular characteristics, the effect of differentiation induction to telomere length and telomerase activity in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been less studied. Therefore, the present study aimed to uncover periodical alterations of telomere length, telomerase activity and TERT expression in the dental pulp-derived MSCs (DP-MSCs) under condition of differentiation inductions into adipocytes and osteoblasts on a weekly basis up to 3 weeks. Shortening of telomere was significantly (p < 0.05) identified from early-middle stages of both differentiations in comparison with undifferentiated DP-MSCs by non-radioactive chemiluminescent assay and qRT-PCR method. Telomere length in undifferentiated DP-MSCs was 10.5 kb, but the late stage of differentiated DP-MSCs which can be regarded as the adult somatic cell exhibited 8.1-8.6 kb. Furthermore, the relative-quantitative telomerase repeat amplification protocol or western blotting presented significant (p < 0.05) decrease of telomerase activity since early stages of differentiations or TERT expression from middle stages of differentiations than undifferentiated state, respectively. Based on these results, it is supposed that shortened telomere length in differentiated DP-MSCs was remained along with prolonged differentiation durations, possibly due to weakened telomerase activity and TERT expression. We expect that the present study contributes on understanding differentiation mechanism of MSCs, and provides standardizing therapeutic strategies in clinical application of MSCs in the animal biotechnology.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.34-44
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• 2020

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proposed as an alternative therapy to be applied into several pathologies of the nervous system. These cells can be obtained from adipose tissue, umbilical cord blood and bone marrow, among other tissues, and have remarkable therapeutic properties. MSCs can be isolated with high yield, which adds to their ability to differentiate into non-mesodermal cell types including neuronal lineage both in vivo and in vitro. They are able to restore damaged neural tissue, thus being suitable for the treatment of neural injuries, and possess immunosuppressive activity, which may be useful for the treatment of neurological disorders of inflammatory etiology. Although the long-term safety of MSC-based therapies remains unclear, a large amount of both pre-clinical and clinical trials have shown functional improvements in animal models of nervous system diseases following transplantation of MSCs. In fact, there are several ongoing clinical trials evaluating the possible benefits this cell-based therapy could provide to patients with neurological damage, as well as their clinical limitations. In this review we focus on the potential of MSCs as a therapeutic tool to treat neurological disorders, summarizing the state of the art of this topic and the most recent clinical studies.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.299-309
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• 2013

Transforming growth factor (TGF) family is well known to induce the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). However, the precise signal transduction pathways and underlying factors are not well known. Thus the present study aims to evaluate the possible role of C2 domain in the chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. To this end, 145 C2 domains in the adenovirus were individually transfected to hMSC, and morphological changes were examined. Among 145 C2 domains, C2 domain of protein kinase C eta ($PKC{\eta}$) was selected as a possible chondrogenic differentiation factor for hMSC. To confirm this possibility, we treated $TGF{\beta}3$, a well known chondrogenic differentiation factor of hMSC, and examined the increased-expression of glycosaminoglycan (GAG), collagen type II (COL II) as well as $PKC{\eta}$ using PT-PCR, immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis. To further evaluation of C2 domain of $PKC{\eta}$, we examined morphological changes, expressions of GAG and COL II after transfection of $PKC{\eta}$-C2 domain in hMSC. Overexpression of $PKC{\eta}$-C2 domain induced morphological change and increased GAG and COL II expressions. The present results demonstrate that $PKC{\eta}$ involves in the TGF-${\beta}3$-induced chondrogenic differentiation of hMSC, and C2 domain of $PKC{\eta}$ has important role in this process.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제54권6호
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• pp.467-476
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• 2013

Objective : This study aimed to evaluate the hypotheses that administration routes [intra-arterial (IA) vs. intravenous (IV)] affect the early stage migration of transplanted human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) in acute brain infarction. Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=40) were subjected to photothrombotic infarction. Three days after photothrombotic infarction, rats were randomly allocated to one of four experimental groups [IA group : n=12, IV group : n=12, superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) group : n=8, control group : n=8]. All groups were subdivided into 1, 6, 24, and 48 hours groups according to time point of sacrifice. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) consisting of T2 weighted image (T2WI), $T2^*$ weighted image ($T2^*WI$), susceptibility weighted image (SWI), and diffusion weighted image of rat brain were obtained prior to and at 1, 6, 24, and 48 hours post-implantation. After final MRI, rats were sacrificed and grafted cells were analyzed in brain and lung specimen using Prussian blue and immunohistochemical staining. Results : Grafted cells appeared as dark signal intensity regions at the peri-lesional zone. In IA group, dark signals in peri-lesional zone were more prominent compared with IV group. SWI showed largest dark signal followed by $T2^*WI$ and T2WI in both IA and IV groups. On Prussian blue staining, IA administration showed substantially increased migration and a large number of transplanted hBM-MSCs in the target brain than IV administration. The Prussian blue-positive cells were not detected in SPIO and control groups. Conclusion : In a rat photothrombotic model of ischemic stroke, selective IA administration of human mesenchymal stem cells is more effective than IV administration. MRI and histological analyses revealed the time course of cell migration, and the numbers and distribution of hBM-MSCs delivered into the brain.