Neural crest stem cells from human epidermis of aged donors maintain their multipotency in vitro and in vivo.

Neural crest (NC) cells are multipotent stem cells that arise from the embryonic ectoderm, delaminate from the neural tube in early vertebrate development and migrate throughout the developing embryo, where they differentiate into various cell lineages. Here we show that multipotent and functional NC cells can be derived by induction with a growth factor cocktail containing FGF2 and IGF1 from cultures of human inter-follicular keratinocytes (KC) isolated from elderly donors. Adult NC cells exhibited longer doubling times as compared to neonatal NC cells, but showed limited signs of cellular senescence despite the advanced age of the donors and exhibited significantly younger epigenetic age as compared to KC. They also maintained their multipotency, as evidenced by their ability to differentiate into all NC-specific lineages including neurons, Schwann cells, melanocytes, and smooth muscle cells (SMC). Notably, upon implantation into chick embryos, adult NC cells behaved similar to their embryonic counterparts, migrated along stereotypical pathways and contributed to multiple NC derivatives in ovo. These results suggest that KC-derived NC cells may provide an easily accessible, autologous source of stem cells that can be used for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases or as a model system for studying disease pathophysiology and drug development.

Derivation of neural crest stem cells from human epidermal keratinocytes requires FGF-2, IGF-1, and inhibition of TGF-ß1.

Neural crest (NC) cells play a central role in forming the peripheral nervous system, the craniofacial skeleton, and the pigmentation of the skin during development due to their broad multilineage differentiation potential into neurons, Schwann cells, melanocytes, and mesenchymal stem cells. Recently, we identified an easily accessible source of pluripotent NC stem cells from human inter-follicular keratinocyte (KC) cultures (KC-NC). In this work, we examined specific conditions for the derivation of NC from KC cultures. More specifically, we examined the role of two growth factors, FGF2 and IGF1, in NC proliferation and in expression of two potent NC transcription factors, Sox10 and FoxD3. Using specific chemical inhibitors, we uncovered that the downstream regulatory pathways AKT/PI3K, MEK/ERK, and JNK/cJun may be critical in Sox10 and FoxD3 regulation in KC-NC. The TGF-ß1 pathway was also implicated in suppressing Sox10 expression and NC proliferation. In summary, our study shed light into the role of FGF2, IGF1, and TGF-ß1 on the induction of NC from KC cultures and the pathways that regulate Sox10 and FoxD3. We also established culture conditions for sustaining KC-NC multipotency and, therefore, the potential of these cells for regenerative medicine and cellular therapies.

The synergistic effect of surface topography and sustained release of TGF-ß1 on myogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

A combination of topographical cues and controlled release of biochemical factors is a potential platform in controlling stem cells differentiation. In this study the synergistic effect of nanotopography and sustained release of biofunctional transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1) on differentiation of human Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hWJ-derived UC-MSCs) toward myogenic lineage was investigated. In order to achieve a sustained release of TGF-ß1, this factor was encapsulated within chitosan nanoparticles. Afterwards the aligned composite mats were fabricated using poly-ɛ-caprolacton (PCL) containing TGF-ß1-loaded chitosan nanoparticles and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA). The nanofiber topography notably up-regulated the expressions of calponin1 and SM22α compared with tissue culture polystyrene (TCP). Moreover, the combination of nanofiber topography and sustained TGF-ß1release resulted in more significant enhancement of SMC marker, in particular smooth muscle α-actin (ASMA) expression, compared with bolus delivery despite lower amounts of TGF-ß1 (>10 times lower). Additionally, immunofluorescence staining showed that ASMA and desmin were expressed at higher intensity in cells exposed to controlled TGF-ß1 delivery rather than bolus delivery. These results demonstrated the importance of combined effect of topography and drug delivery in directing stem cell fate and the potential of such biofunctional scaffolds for cell transplantation applications in bladder tissue engineering. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 1610-1621, 2016.