Research Article

In vitro differentiation potential of human embryonic versus adult stem cells

Regenerative Medicine Institute, National Centre for Biomedical & Engineering Science, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, Reeve-Irvine Research Center, 2111 Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility, School of Medicine, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-4292, USA

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GI Nistor

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FB Barry

Regenerative Medicine Institute, National Centre for Biomedical & Engineering Science, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

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HS Keirstead

† Author for correspondence

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Email the corresponding author at hansk@uci.edu

Published Online:10 May 2010https://doi.org/10.2217/rme.10.20

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Abstract

Background: There is widespread controversy regarding the potential of human neural stem cells and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to form cell types outside of their normal developmental lineage. A greater understanding of the differentiation potential and bias of these stem cell types would allow researchers to select the cell type that best suits the research or clinical need at hand. Materials & methods: We used identical in vitro protocols to quantitatively compare the potential of human embryonic stem cells, human neural stem cells and hMSCs to differentiate into specific ectodermal or mesodermal lineages. Results: Our findings demonstrate that human embryonic stem cells and human neural stem cells have the ability to differentiate into high purity neuronal progenitor or oligodendrocyte progenitor cultures. By contrast, hMSCs generated exceedingly limited numbers of neural lineages. Both human embryonic stem cells and hMSCs generated adipocytes and osteocytes when exposed to mesodermal differentiation conditions. Conclusion: These studies underscore the importance of distinguishing differentiation potential from differentiation bias, an important consideration in the development of cell replacement strategies.

Keywords:

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Published online 10 May 2010

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank C Svendsen for providing human neural stem cells.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by individual donations to the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. G Rooney was supported by the Irish Research Council for Science and Engineering Technology and the National University of Ireland Traveling Studentship. HS Keirstead is Chairman and G Nistor is a member of the scientific advisory board of California Stem Cell, Inc. The authors have 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 authors state 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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