| dc.description.abstract | Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from several human tissues have
been reported to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells recently. Umbilical
cord lining membrane (UCLM) represents abundant and non-controversial
source for MSCs. The objective of this study was to investigate the in vitro
differentiation of UCLM-derived MSCs (UCLM-MSCs) into functional
hepatocyte-like cells. In this study, UCLM-MSCs were induced to differentiate
into hepatocytes by a two-step protocol. Differentiated hepatocyte-like cells
were analyzed based on three specific criteria including hepatocyte
morphology, expression of hepatocyte-specific markers, and specific
functionality. After 21 days of treatment, the differentiated cells became oval
and round epithelial-like shape, which is characteristic of hepatocytes. Results
from reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and
immunocytochemistry showed that the cells expressed hepatocyte-specific
markers ALB, AFP, CK18, and CK19 at both gene and protein levels. In
addition, the cells had the ability to uptake low density lipoprotein (LDL) and
store glycogen. Therefore, functional hepatocyte-like cells derived from UCLMMSCs could be served as a potential source for the treatment of liver diseases.
Keywords: Mesenchymal stem cells, umbilical cord lining membrane,
differentiation, hepatocytes-like cells, two-step protocol. | en_US |
