TITLE:
Direct pre-differentiation of rat mesenchymal stem cells into dopaminergic cells
AUTHORS:
Judith Zavala-Arcos, Maria Teresa Gonzalez-Garza, Janet Gutierrez-Alcala, Hector R. Martinez, Jorge E. Moreno-Cuevas
KEYWORDS:
Cell Differentiation; Dopamine Producing Cells; Neuro-Differentiation; Parkinson’s Disease; Stem Cells
JOURNAL NAME:
Stem Cell Discovery,
Vol.3 No.2,
April
24,
2013
ABSTRACT: The use of stem cells
has been proposed as an alternative treatment for certain neurodegenerative
disorders. It has also been suggested that in the pre-differentiated state,
stem cells might provide a better therapeutic option than cells that are
undifferentiated or fully differentiated. The purpose of this study was to
develop a protocol aimed at reducing the incubation time required to induce the
conversion of rat mesenchymal stem cells into immature dopaminergic neurons.
Stem cells obtained from rat bone marrow were incubated in a control or induction
media for 2-24 h. Cells incubated for 24 h in induction medium demonstrated an
increase on the levels of the neuronal
protein markers nestin, glial fibrillary acid protein, and β-tubulin III, as well as increases in
the expression of Pax3, EN1, Thy1.1,
and GEF10 genes. This manuscript presents
evidence that adult mesenchymal cells are capable to respond, in a short time period,
to a neuroinduction medium, and give raise to pre-differentiated neuron like
cells representing an alternative for Parkinson disease cell therapy
transplantation.