Mesenchymal stem cells originating from ES cells show high telomerase activity and therapeutic benefits

• DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2011.07.001
• Publication Date: 2011-08-21T16:39:24Z
• Authors: Nana Ninagawa; Rumi Murakami; Eri Isobe; Yusuke Tanaka; Hiroki Nakagawa; Shigeko Torihashi
• Keywords: Transplantation; Cancer Research; 0303 health sciences; Adipogenesis; Endoglin; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Cell Differentiation; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Cell Biology; Mice, SCID; ES cells; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Mesenchymal stem cells; Animals; Cell Lineage; Molecular Biology; Telomerase; Embryonic Stem Cells; Developmental Biology

We establish a novel method for the induction and collection of mesenchymal stem cells using a typical cell surface marker, CD105, through adipogenesis from mouse ES cells. ES cells were cultured in a medium for adipogenesis. Mesenchymal stem cells from mouse ES cells were easily identified by the expression of CD105, and were isolated and differentiated into multiple mesenchymal cell types. Mesenchymal stem cells showed remarkable telomerase activity and sustained their growth for a long time with a high potential for differentiation involving skeletal myogenesis in vitro. When mesenchymal stem cells were transplanted into the injured tibialis anterior muscles, they differentiated into skeletal muscle cells in vivo. In addition, they improved the vascular formation, but never formed teratoma for longer than 6 months. Gene expression profiles revealed that mesenchymal stem cells lost pluripotency, while they acquired high potential to differentiate into mesenchymal cell lines. They thus indicate a promising new source of cell-based therapy without teratoma formation.