Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derived-Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An Alternative Mesenchymal Stem Cell Source for Regenerative Medicine Therapy

Abstract

Aim: To enumerate and characterize mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) for clinical application. Materials & methods: hESC were differentiated into hESC-MSC and characterized by the expression of surface markers using flow cytometry. hESC-MSC were evaluated with respect to growth kinetics, colony-forming potential, as well as osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation capacity. Immunosuppressive effects were assessed using peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation and cytotoxicity assays. Results: hESC-MSC showed similar morphology, and cell surface markers as adipose (AMSC) and bone marrow-derived MSC (BMSC). hESC-MSC exhibited a higher growth rate during early in vitro expansion and equivalent adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation and colony-forming potential as AMSC and BMSC. hESC-MSC demonstrated similar immunosuppressive effects as AMSC and BMSC. Conclusion: hESC-MSC were comparable to BMSC and AMSC and hence can be used as an alternative source of MSC for clinical applications.

Keywords::

• AMSC
• BMSC
• differentiation
• growth kinetics
• hESC-MSC
• immunosuppression

Financial & competing interests disclosure

L Zhao, T Teklemariam and BM Hantash are employees of and hold stock in Escape Therapeutics, Inc. R Gadkari was supported by a training grant (TB1-01195) from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (2012). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

L Zhao, T Teklemariam and BM Hantash are employees of and hold stock in Escape Therapeutics, Inc. R Gadkari was supported by a training grant (TB1-01195) from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (2012). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.