通过人胚胎干细胞(Human embryonic stem cells,hESCs)经体内分化获取间充质干细胞(Mesenchymalstemcells,MSCs)为人胚胎干细胞提供-种新的滋养层。将约5×10^6个hESCs注射入重症免疫联合缺陷小鼠形成畸胎瘤,8周后再从畸胎瘤中分离MSCs并鉴定,将MSCs作为hESCs的滋养层细胞,并检测和观察hESCs的生长情况、细胞特性和分化能力。从畸胎瘤中获得了纯度较高的具有类似骨髓来源的MSC特性的细胞群,其形态相似、表面抗原标志相似(CD34和CD45阴性,CD29、CD49b、CD105、CD73和CD90阳性),经诱导可以向成骨细胞和成脂细胞分化。将hESCs在MSCs滋养层细胞上传代培养10代以上,hESCs依然具有正常的细胞形态,反转录PCR证实其特异转录因子Oct4、Nanog的表达,干细胞表面标记SSEA-1显示为阴性,SSEA-4、TRA.1—60、TRA-1-81显示为阳性,碱性磷酸酶染色显示为阳性,并且核型正常。体外EB形成和体内畸胎瘤形成证明了其全能性。因此来源于hESCs本身的MSCs可以被用来作为支持胚胎干细胞生长并维持其未分化状态的滋养层细胞。
This study was carried out to determine whether mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from teratoma of hu- man embryonic stem cells (hESCs) function as feeder cells to support hESCs growth. Approximately 5×10^6 hESCs were injected into the hind limb muscle of each SCID-beige mouse to form teratoma. After 8 weeks, the MSCs were isolated from the teratoma and cultured in Mesencult medium. Purified MSCs were then used as the feeder cells for hESCs culture. High purity MSCs derived from teratoma were isolated. The cells were morphologically similar to bone marrow MSCs (bMSCs). The teratoma-derived MSCs were negative for CD34 and CD45 but positive for CD29, CD49b, CD105, CD73, and CD90, which resembled those expressed by bMSCs. After passaged on MSCs feeder cells more than 10 passages, hESCs maintained hESC characteristics in morphology. Reverse PCR showed the expression of Oct4 and Nanog. SSEA-1 was negative and SSEA-4, TRA-1-60, and TRA-1-81 were positive. Alkaline phosphatase staining showed positive re- suits.The karyotype remained normal. Moreover, the hECSs cultured on teratoma-derived MSCs formed teratoma in vivo and embryoid body in vitro confirmed their pluripotency. Accordingly, MSCs derived from hESCs by in vivo differentiation can be used as the feeder cells for hESCs culture.