Research Article

An efficient method for generation of neural-like cells from adult human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Arshak R Alexanian

Neuroscience Research Laboratories, Department of Neurosurgery, VA Medical Center – Research 151, 5000 West National Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, WI 53295, USA.

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Email the corresponding author at aalexan@mcw.edu

Published Online:17 Nov 2010https://doi.org/10.2217/rme.10.67

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Abstract

Background: Stem cell-based therapies to repair and replace lost neural cells are a highly promising treatment for CNS diseases. Bone marrow (BM)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have great potential as therapeutic agents against neurological maladies, since they have the ability to differentiate into neural phenotypes and can be readily isolated and expanded for autotransplantation with no risk of rejection. In our previous studies, we demonstrated that neural cells could be efficiently generated from mouse BM-derived MSCs by exposing cells to epigenetic modifiers and a neural environment. The main idea of this approach was the reactivation of pluripotency-associated genes in MSCs before exposing them to neural-inducing factors. Aim: In this study, we used a similar approach to efficiently generate neural cells from human BM-derived MSCs. Method: Neural induction was achieved by exposing cells simultaneously to inhibitors of DNA methylation and histone deacetylation, and pharmacological agents that increase cAMP levels. Results: The expression of pluripotency and neural markers was confirmed with immunocytochemistry, western blot and real-time PCR. ELISA studies showed that these neurally induced-human MSCs cells released the neurotrophic factors glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Conclusion: Human MSCs that are neurally modified with this methodology could be a useful source of cells for CNS repair and regeneration.

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Published online 17 November 2010

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Acknowledgement

The author thanks C Stadig and K Stehlik for technical assistance.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by VA Medical Research and the Department of Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin (WI, USA). The author has 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 author states 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.

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