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Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3)-inhibitor SB216763 promotes the conversion of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into neural precursors in adherent culture

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An Erratum to this article was published on 08 November 2016

Abstract

The ability to generate neural progenitor cells from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) has provided an option to treat neurodegenerative diseases. To establish a method for this purpose, we characterized the early neural markers of hUC-MSCs-derived cells under different conditions. We found that neither the elimination of signals for alternative fate nor N2 supplement was sufficient to differentiate hUC-MSCs into neural precursor cells, but the GSK3 inhibitor SB216763 could promote an efficient neural commitment of hUC-MSCs. The results indicated that Wnt/β-catenin might play an important role during the early neural differentiation of hUC-MSCs. Here, we report a method for hUC-MSCs to commit efficiently into a neural fate within a short period of time. This protocol provides an efficient method for hUC-MSCs-based neural regeneration.

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Abbreviations

hUC-MSCs:

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells

GSK3:

Glycogen synthase kinase 3

CNS:

Central nervous system

NPCs:

Neural precursor cells

FACS:

Fluorescence-activiated cell sorting

ICC:

Immunocytochemistry

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Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to staffs of the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical Collage and the Clinical Research Center of Guangdong Medical College for the support and assistance in any circumstances related to this project. This study was supported by the Guangdong Medical Research Foundation (No. A2015483), the Zhanjiang Municipal Governmental Specific Financial Fund Allocated for Competitive Scientific and Technological Projects (No. 2014A06005), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (No. S2013020012866), and the Innovation and Strengthening University Project of Guangdong Province (No. 4CX14111G).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Stem Cell Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China

      Liyang Gao, Mingyan Zhao, Peng Li, Rui Huang & Jiaqi Chu

    2. Department of Spinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China

      Junchao Kong, Zhijun Liu & Rong Zeng

    3. Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China

      Juanhua Quan

    4. Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China

      Yonghua Chen

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    1. Liyang Gao
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    Correspondence to Liyang Gao or Rong Zeng.

    Additional information

    L. Gao, M. Zhao, P. Li and J. Kong contributed equally to this work.

    An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13577-016-0152-8.

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    13577_2016_146_MOESM1_ESM.tif

    Supplementary Fig. 1: Immunophenotype and differentiation potential of hUC-MSCs. (A) FACS results showed that CD73, CD90, and CD105 were expressed in most of hUC-MSCs, but CD31, CD34, and CD45 were not detected in these cells. (B) hUC-MSCs could differentiate into adipocytes (Oil-red-O, i), chondroblasts (Alcian blue, ii), and osteoblasts (Alizarin red, iii). Bar, 500 μM (TIFF 529 kb)

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    Gao, L., Zhao, M., Li, P. et al. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3)-inhibitor SB216763 promotes the conversion of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into neural precursors in adherent culture. Human Cell 30, 11–22 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13577-016-0146-6

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