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

Ardeshir Moayeri; Rafieh Alizadeh; Hatef Ghasemi Hamidabadi; Maryam Nazm Bojnordi; Ali Niapour; Azim Hedayatpour; Marzieh Darvishi; Fatemeh Heidari; Maryam Soleimani; Leila Elyasi

doi:10.32598/bcn.2021.973.3

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

Basic Clin Neurosci. 2022 Sep-Oct;13(5):625-636. doi: 10.32598/bcn.2021.973.3. Epub 2022 Sep 1.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
² ENT and Head and Neck Research Center and Department, The Five Senses Health Institute, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
³ Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Immunogenetic Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
⁴ Department of Anatomical Sciences, Research Laboratory for Embryology and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.
⁵ Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
⁶ Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
⁷ Department of Basic Sciences, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁸ Department of Anatomy, Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: The induction of 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 disease. This study aims to differentiate HUC-MSCs into dopaminergic neuron-like cells.

Methods: Following the isolation and characterization of HUC-MSCs, they were transferred to Matrigel-coated plates and incubated with a cocktail of dopaminergic neuronal differentiation factors. The capacity of differentiation into dopaminergic neuron-like cells in 2-dimensional culture and on Matrigel was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunocytochemistry, and high-performance liquid chromatography.

Results: Our results showed that dopaminergic neuronal markers' transcript and protein levels were significantly increased on the Matrigel differentiated cells compared to 2D culture plates.

Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study suggest that HUC-MSCs can successfully differentiate toward dopaminergic neuron-like cells on Matrigel, having great potential for the treatment of dopaminergic neuron-related diseases.

Keywords: Differentiation; Dopaminergic neurons; Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells; In vitro.