In summary, we have demonstrated in this work that multipotent adult precursor cell can be isolated and expanded from two accessible adult tissue sources: skin and adipose tissue. The work described in this paper provides the framework for our attempts to use SKPs or ADSc as autologous adult stem cell population for cell replacement and discovery research.

Atypical antipsychotics (APDs) are currently used in clinical practice for a variety of mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe behavioral disturbances. A well-known disadvantage of using these compounds is a propensity for weight gain, resulting frequently in obesity. The mechanisms underlying pharmacologically induced weight gain are still controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate in vitro the effects of different APDs on adipogenic events in cultured human pre-adipocytes and in rat muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs), aiming to identify a common intracellular event contributable to these drugs. Culture behavior was evaluated in terms of cell proliferation, lipid accumulation, gene expression and morphological features. Results indicate that APDs influence adipogenic events through changes in the differentiation and proliferation of preadipocytes and MDSCs that are brought on by protein kinase C-b (PKC-b) activation. These data identify a signaling route that could be a potential target of pharmacological approaches for preventing the weight gain associated with APD treatment.

The ideal bioartificial liver should be designed to reproduce as nearly as possible in vitro the habitat that hepatic cells find in vivo. In the present work, we investigated the in vitro perfusion condition with a view to improving the hepatic differentiation of pluripotent human liver stem cells (HLSCs) from adult liver. Tissue engineering strategies based on the cocultivation of HLSCs with hepatic stellate cells (ITO) and with several combinations of medium were applied to improve viability and differentiation. A mathematical model estimated the best flow rate for perfused cultures lasting up to 7 days. Morphological and functional assays were performed. Morphological analyses confirmed that a flow of perfusion medium (assured by the bioreactor system) enabled the in vitro organization of the cells into liver clusters even in the deeper levels of the sponge. Our results showed that, when cocultured with ITO using stem cell medium, HLSCs synthesized a large amount of albumin and the MTT test confirmed an improvement in cell proliferation. In conclusion, this study shows that our in vitro cell conditions promote the formation of clusters of HLSCs and enhance the functional differentiation into a mature hepatic population.

OBJECTIVE: In recent years, research on stem cells has been focused on the development of personalized cell-based therapies. Owing to their homing properties, adult human stem cells are a promising source of autologous cells to be used as therapeutic vehicles. Multiple potential sources for clinically useful stem and progenitor cells have been identified, including autologous and allogenic embryonic, fetal and adult somatic cells from neural, adipose and mesenchymal tissue. In the present report, we describe a simple protocol to obtain an enriched culture of adult stem cells organized in neurospheres from two post-natal tissues: skin and adipose tissue. METHODS: Adult stem cells isolated from skin and adipose tissue derived from the same adult donor were amplified under varying conditions related to the coating of the chamber slide and the presence of serum and/or growth factors, such as with EGF and FGF2. Neurospheres were then expanded and evaluated in terms of proliferation and gene expression. RESULTS: Adipose and skin derived neurospheres were comparable in size, quantity of cells and genes expressed. Cells from both types of tissue grew optimally without slide coating, in the presence of serum and with the combined addition of FGF2 and EGF. DISCUSSION: We describe a method for isolating and improving a population of multipotent adult precursor cells from the two most accessible adult tissue sources: skin and adipose tissue. This autologous adult stem cell population could be used for cell replacement or cell therapies.