Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2013, Vol. 8 ›› Issue (19): 1783-1792.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.19.006

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Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into retinal progenitor cells

Ying Hu1, 2, Jun Liang3, Hongping Cui2, Xinmei Wang4, Hua Rong2, Bin Shao5, Hao Cui1   

  1. 1 Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 200120, Heilongjiang Province, China
    2 Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai East Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, China
    3 Department of Histology and Embryology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang 157011, Heilongjiang Province, China
    4 Department of Ophthalmology, Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 200120, Heilongjiang Province, China
    5 Department of Head-Neck and Breast Tumor, Mudanjiang Tumor Hospital, Mudanjiang 157009, Heilongjiang Province, China
  • Received:2013-03-10 Revised:2013-05-05 Online:2013-07-05 Published:2013-07-05
  • Contact: Hao Cui, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 200120, Heilongjiang Province, China, sjnkwujiang@sina.com.
  • About author:Ying Hu, M.D.

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Abstract:

Human Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from fetal umbilical cord. Cells were cultured in serum-free neural stem cell-conditioned medium or neural stem cell-conditioned medium supplemented with Dkk-1, a Wnt/β catenin pathway antagonist, and LeftyA, a Nodal signaling pathway antagonist to induce differentiation into retinal progenitor cells. Inverted microscopy showed that after induction, the spindle-shaped or fibroblast-like Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells changed into bulbous cells with numerous processes. Immunofluorescent cytochemical stain-ing and reverse-transcription PCR showed positive expression of retinal progenitor cell markers, Pax6 and Rx, as well as weakly down-regulated nestin expression. These results demonstrate that Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells are capable of differentiating into retinal progenitor cells in vitro.