Transdifferentiation of Human Umbilical Cord- Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Dopaminergic Neurons in a Three-Dimensional Culture

Abstract

Introduction: The induction of from human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) toward dopaminergic neurons is a major challenge in tissue engineering and experimental and clinical treatments of various neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease. This study aimed to differentiate HUC-MSCs into dopaminergic neuron-like cells. Methods: After HUC-MSCs isolation and characterizations, they transferred onto matrigel- coated plates and incubated with a cocktail of dopaminergic neuronal differentiation factors. The capacity of differentiation into dopaminergic neuron-like cells in 2D culture and on matrigel was assessed by real-time PCR, immunocytochemistry and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: Our results showed that the transcript and protein levels of dopaminergic neuronal markers was significantly increased on Matrigel differentiated cells as compared with 2D culture plates. Conclusions: Overall, the results of this study suggest that HUC-MSCs can successfully differentiate toward dopaminergic neuron-like cells on Matrigel, having great potentials for the treatment of dopaminergic neuron-related diseases.