Does the source of a stem cell change its properties?

Stem cells are defined by their ability to develop into different types of adult cells, while restoring their own reserves to ensure a constant supply.

For example, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent and can form many types of cells, such as osteoblasts, chondrocytes, myocytes and adipocytes. MSC stores are found in bone marrow, umbilical cord blood and adipose tissue, and it has been suggested that stem cells from different locations have different properties.

Stem cells in medicine

Stem cells are an essential tool in medicine to treat or prevent diseases. They can be used to treat people with leukemia, limbal stem cell deficiencies, immunological diseases and graft-versus-host disease. Many potential applications, such as the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, spinal cord trauma and heart disease are under study. Characterization of stem cells from different sources is needed to determine which source gives the best cells for these applications.

Sources of stem cells

Bone marrow is the most common source of CSM. However, this source is highly invasive and the potential and lifespan of these stem cells decreases with age. Therefore, other sources are being studied for medical applications, such as umbilical cord blood and adipose tissue.

Stem cell properties from different sources

Expression of surface proteins

MSCs from different sources share a similar expression profile of surface proteins, multipotential differentiation ability, ability to form colony forming units, and fibroblastic morphology. However, further badysis revealed differences in expression between several surface proteins, such as CD90, CD105 and CD106. Since these proteins are badociated with hematopoiesis and cell migration, variations in their expression could lead to distinctive properties.

Frequency of colonies

There were differences in colony frequencies: the umbilical cord blood produced the weakest tissue and the adipose tissue produced the highest frequency. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood could differentiate only in chondrogenic and osteogenic lineages, but not in adipogenic lineages. This was different from the CSMs obtained from other sources, which could develop in any of the mesenchymal cell lines. Therefore, stem cells from different sources may have different differentiation potentials. In addition, umbilical cord blood stem cells have lower isolation efficiency, higher expansion potential, and can be cultured longer.

Medical applications

Umbilical cord blood may be useful in future medical applications because it has extremely high proliferation capabilities and thus allows very large amounts to be obtained. However, their inability to differentiate towards certain lineages is a potential problem. Adipose tissue stem cells, however, can differentiate into all cell types and can be obtained by less invasive methods than bone marrow cells. However, these cells can not proliferate as quickly and are limited to the amount of fat that can be generated.

sources

Further reading