Browsing by Subject "Pluripotent stem cells"

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    Melanocyte stem cells in skin diseases and their potential in cell-based therapy
    (Universidad de Murcia, Departamento de Biologia Celular e Histiologia, 2022) Wang, Zi Han; Liu, Li-Ping; Zheng, Yun-Wen
    Melanocytes have a complex function and play an important role in a variety of regulatory mechanisms in the human system. Melanocyte stem cells (MelSCs) serve as a reservoir to replenish the melanocytes by regenerating new ones, and they are capable of self-renewal and differentiation to maintain their homeostasis, repair, and regeneration in tissues. The numerical decrease and functional impairment of MelSCs may be closely related to the development and treatment response of many skin diseases. However, the current knowledge about MelSCs mainly comes from studies in mice, and little is known about human MelSC markers; especially, their markers are still unclear or lack consensus. This leads to uncertainty in clinical findings, which further limits our comprehensive understanding of pigmentary disorders and also hinders the progress of new treatments. Thus, in this review article, combined with our previous and current work, we summarize and update the recent advances in MelSC research, including the molecular markers of human MelSCs and their niche, as well as the association of MelSCs with skin diseases, including vitiligo, hair greying, and melanoma. Due to the limited tools available to explore the identified characteristics of human MelSCs, pluripotent stem cells can provide a new research model for further study, especially combined with CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The visualization of human MelSCs’ development and differentiation can help to identify their molecular characteristics and understand their cellular fate dynamically, which will allow us not only to further explore their roles in associated diseases, but also to achieve MelSC-based cellular therapy.
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    Pluripotent stem cells isolated from umbilical cord form embryonic like bodies in a mesenchymal layer culture
    (F. Hernández y Juan F. Madrid. Universidad de Murcia: Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, 2015) Tsagias, Nikos; Kouzi-Koliakos, Kokkona; Karagianis, Vasileios; Tsikouras, P.; Koliakos, George G.
    Recently the matrix of umbilical cord began to use as an alternative source of stem cells additionally to the blood of umbilical cord. Umbilical cord has been used mainly for mesenchymal stem cell banking. The immunological characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells in combination with their ability to avoid rejection make them an attractive biological material for transplantations. In this study the isolation of small in size pluripotent stem cells from umbilical cord expressing early transcription factors with characteristics that resemble to embryonic stem cells is investigated. Pluripotent stem cells were isolated from human umbilical cords, by a new strategy method based on unique characteristics such as the small size and the positivity on early transcription factors OCT and Nanog. An enriched population of CXCR4+ OCT+ Nanog+ CD45- small stem cells from the cord was isolated. This fraction was able to create alkaline phosphatase positive like spheres forms in a mesenchymal layer with multilineage differentiation capacity. Our results were assessed by RT PCR and electophoresis for the pluripotent genes. These data suggest that umbilical cord provides an attractive source not only of mesenchymal stem cells but moreover of pluripotent stem cells. The method described herein should be applied in the field of stem cell banking in addition to the classical umbilical cord harvesting method. Isolation of a population of cells with pluripotent characteristics from umbilical cord. Adoption of a second centrifugation step for the pluripotent stem isolation. Increasing the value of the cord and explaining the pluripotency. This work will enhance the value of umbilical cord harvesting.