IN VIVO DIFFERENTIATION AND MIGRATION PROPERTIES OF STEM CELLS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Stem cells have the capacity for self-renewal and differentiation into diverse cell types. The potential of adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to differentiate to diverse cell types in vitro and in vivo offers outstanding opportunities to use these cells as therapeutic agents. In this study bone marrow and adipose tissue derived MSCs were compared for the plasticity in vivo. In a time course study, MSCs were injected into the lateral ventricles of NIHIII immune deficient mice. The migration and engraftment of MSCs have been evaluated on 2, 4, and 6 weeks post engraftment. The sections made from the engrafted brain were screened for rhesus cells using Human Nuclear Antigen (HNA) antibody which cross reacted with rhesus cells. Our results indicated that while both cell types engrafted in multiple regions throughout the brain, the adipose tissue derived MSCs persisted in the brain for longer periods of time. The adipose tissue derived MSCs were detected up to six weeks post-transplantation. We are currently investigating the differentiation of engrafted MSCs into the host brain. Since there is no ethical limitation on using adult stem cells, the results of this study suggest that adipose tissue and bone marrow will prove to be important sources of pluripotent stem cells.