Proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation potential of menstrual blood- and bone marrow-derived stem cells in two-dimensional culture

Abstract

Menstrual blood is easily accessible, renewable, and inexpensive source of stem cells. In this study, we investigated the chondrogenic differentiation potential of menstrual blood-derived stem cells (MenSCs) compared with that of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) in two-dimensional culture. Following characterization of isolated cells, the potential for chondrogenic differentiation of MenSCs and BMSCs was evaluated by immunocytochemical and molecular experiments. MenSCs were strongly positive for mesenchymal stem cell markers in a manner similar to that of BMSCs. In contrast to BMSCs, MenSCs exhibited marked expression of OCT4, and higher proliferative capacity. Differentiated MenSCs showed strong immunoreactivity to a monoclonal antibody against Collagen type 2, in a pattern similar to BMSCs. Accumulation of proteoglycans in differentiated MenSCs was also comparable with that in differentiated BMSCs. However, the mRNA expression patterns as judged by RT-PCR of chondrogenic markers such as Collagen 2A1, Collagen 9A1 and SOX9 in MenSCs were different from those in BMSCs. Given these findings, MenSCs appear to be a unique stem cell population with higher proliferation than and comparable chondrogenic differentiation ability to BMSCs in two-dimensional culture. Much quantitative studies at the molecular level may elucidate the reasons for the observed differences in MenSCs and BMSCs.

Modified protocol for improvement of differentiation potential of menstrual blood‐derived stem cells into adipogenic lineage

“…Consistent with our recent studies (10,12,16,17), we have shown that MenSCs express markers of stromal/ mesenchymal stem cells such as CD10, CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90 and CD105, while failing to express embryonic stem cell markers (ESC) such as SSEA-4, Nanog and c-kit. Regardless of these findings, in the present study, we demonstrated that MenSCs could not be classified simply as mesenchymal stem cells, due to their expression of ESC marker, OCT-4, which is not typical of mesenchymal stem cells.…”

“…Likewise, MenSCs do not express haematopoietic stem cell markers such as CD14, CD45, CD34, CD38, CD133 similar to BMSCs. On the other hand, expression of OCT‐4 as pluripotency marker and lack of some mesenchymal markers (such as STRO‐1) distinguishes MenSCs from BMSCs .…”

Human menstrual blood: a renewable and sustainable source of stem cells for regenerative medicine

“…Increasing passaging number also resulted in differentiation of ADSCs and umbilical cord-derived cells MSCs (UCMSCs) into polygonal shapes with elongated protrusions, in contrast to the remarkably granular protrusions on the surface of MenSCs [ 35 ]. Compared with BMSCs, freshly isolated MenSCs are more plastic adherent [ 36 ] and their morphology mainly depends on their density. When the amount of MenSCs per square centimeter exceeded 500, they became small and flat, while the BMSCs retained a long and large fibroblastic shape [ 37 ].…”

“…MenSCs express OCT-4, whereas BMSCs do not [ 36 – 38 , 41 ]. Unlike with other MSCs, expression of MSCs markers, CD29, CD44, and CD90 in MenSCs reduced to less than 95% when the cultured cells reached P10, indicating a declined stemness activity of MenSCs upon more passaging.…”

“…MenSCs have the lowest potential to be differentiated into adipocytes while the osteoblastic differentiation ability among these three MSCs is rather similar. The differentiation potential of chondrogenesis and osteogenesis between MenSCs and BMSCs had no difference [ 36 ]. However, one of the osteocyte specific markers alkaline phosphatase, a crucial player in bone mineralization, was less upregulated in differentiated MenSCs than in differentiated BMSCs [ 37 ].…”