Authors:
Hedvika Davis, Xiufang Guo, Stephen Lambert, Maria Stancescu, and James J. Hickman
Summary:
Umbilical cord stem cells would be a favorable alternative to embryonic stem cells for therapeutic applications. In this study, human multipotent progenitor cells (MLPCs) from umbilical cord were differentiated into oligodendrocytes by being exposed to a range of microenvironmental chemical and physical cues. Chemical cues were represented by a novel defined differentiation medium containing the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE). Under traditional two-dimensional conditions, the MLPCs differentiated into oligodendrocyte precursors but did not progress further. However, in a three-dimensional environment, the MLPCs differentiated into committed oligodendrocytes that expressed myelin basic protein. The apparent method of interaction of NE in stimulating the differentiation process was shown to occur through the adenergic pathway, while all prior differentiation methods have used other routes. This novel method of obtaining functional human oligodendrocytes from MLPCs would eliminate many of the difficulties associated with their differentiation from embryonic stem cells.
Source:
ACS Chemical Neuroscience; 3(1), 31-39 (2012)