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. 2014 Nov;7(2):127-34.
doi: 10.15283/ijsc.2014.7.2.127.

Mesengenic differentiation: comparison of human and rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Affiliations

Mesengenic differentiation: comparison of human and rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Arianna Scuteri et al. Int J Stem Cells. 2014 Nov.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Cellular therapies using Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) represent a promising approach for the treatment of degenerative diseases, in particular for mesengenic tissue regeneration. However, before the approval of clinical trials in humans, in vitro studies must be performed aimed at investigating MSCs' biology and the mechanisms regulating their proliferation and differentiation abilities. Besides studies on human MSCs (hMSCs), MSCs derived from rodents have been the most used cellular type for in vitro studies. Nevertheless, the transfer of the results obtained using animal MSCs to hMSCs has been hindered by the limited knowledge regarding the similarities existing between cells of different origins. Aim of this paper is to highlight similarities and differences and to clarify the sometimes reported different results obtained using these cells.

Methods and results: We compare the differentiation ability into mesengenic lineages of rat and human MSCs cultured in their standard conditions. Our results describe in which way the source from which MSCs are derived affects their differentiation potential, depending on the mesengenic lineage considered. For osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages, the main difference between human and rat MSCs is represented by differentiation time, while for adipogenesis hMSCs have a greater differentiation potential.

Conclusions: These results on the one hand suggest to carefully evaluate the transfer of results obtained with animal MSCs, on the other hand they offer a clue to better apply MSCs into clinical practice.

Keywords: Adipogenic Differentiation; Chondrogenic Differentiation; Human; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Osteogenic Differentiation; Rat.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Osteogenic differentiation of rMSCs and hMSCs. Control (CTRL) and osteogenic induced (OSTEO) rMSCs (A) or hMSCs (C) were stained with Alizarin Red respectively at days 7, 14, 21 and 28 or at days 21, 28, 35 and 42 after induction and micrographs were taken. Quantitative analysis of Alizarin Red dye accumulation in rMSCs (B) and in hMSCs (D) cultures. The results were normalized to the absorbance of untreated control cells and they are expressed as mean±Standard Deviation. **p<0.001; *p<0.05.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Adipogenic differentiation of rMSCs and hMSCs. Control (CTRL) and adipogenic induced (ADIPO) rMSCs (A) or hMSCs (C) were stained with Oil Red O respectively at days 14, 21 and 35 or at days 7, 14 and 21 after induction and micrographs were taken. Bars=50 μm. Quantitative analysis of Oil Red O dye accumulation in rMSCs (B) and in hMSCs (D) cultures. The results were normalized to the absorbance of untreated control cells and they are expressed as mean±Standard Deviation. **p<0.001; *p<0.05.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Chondrogenic differentiation of rMSCs and hMSCs. Safranin O staining of paraffin-embedded sections of rMSCs or hMSCs cultured in pellets in culture medium (CTRL) or in chondrogenic medium (CHONDRO) respectively for 5 and 6 weeks and for 6 and 7 weeks. Bars=50 μm.

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