Cardiogenic and myogenic gene expression in mesenchymal stem cells after 5-azacytidine treatment.

Objective: 5-Azacytidine is a hypomethylating agent that is used for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome. This histone modifier is widely employed and plays a nonspecific role in influencing the differentiation capability of stem cells. The ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into cardiomyocyte- and myocyte-like cells after exposure to 3 different doses of 5-azacytidine has been evaluated and compared.

Cardiomyocyte differentiation of perinatally‑derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Coronary heart disease is major cause of mortality worldwide and several risk factors have been shown to play a role in its pathogenesis, including smoking, obesity, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. A number of therapeutic methods have been developed to improve the quality of patients' lives, including stem cell therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Perinatal sources, including the placenta (PL) and umbilical cord (UC), are rich sources of MSCs and have been identified as a potential source of cells for therapeutic use.

Alginate microcapsule as a 3D platform for propagation and differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) to different lineages.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) are emerging as an attractive alternative source for cell replacement therapy since they can be expanded in culture indefinitely and differentiated to any cell types in the body. Various types of biomaterials have also been used in stem cell cultures to provide a microenvironment mimicking the stem cell niche(1-3). The latter is important for promoting cell-to-cell interaction, cell proliferation, and differentiation into specific lineages as well as tissue organization by providing a three-dimensional (3D) environment(4) such as encapsulation.

In vitro vessel-forming capacity of endothelial progenitor cells in high glucose conditions.

In type 2 diabetes, the impairment of vascular repair processes and angiogenesis are due to endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) dysfunction. In this study, we established a quantitative methodology to assess EPC function by using an in vitro 5-(6)-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester-labeling vessel formation assay. The EPCs were cultured in three different glucose concentrations (100, 189.

CD14-/CD34+ is the founding population of umbilical cord blood-derived endothelial progenitor cells and angiogenin1 is an important factor promoting the colony formation.

The origin of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in umbilical cord blood (UCB) is unknown. In this study, we explored the origin of UCB-derived EPCs by culturing CD14+ or CD14- subpopulation separately and co-culturing these two subpopulations either with or without transwells. We found no colony formation with CD14+ or CD14- subpopulation alone, but there were EPC colonies observed in direct co-cultures of both subpopulations.

Alginate microcapsule for propagation and directed differentiation of hESCs to definitive endoderm.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are potential renewable sources of cells in replacement therapies for many diseases including type 1 diabetes. We have established a three dimensional (3D) model to culture and differentiate hESCs that are encapsulated in calcium alginate microcapsules. This system promotes cellular interactions that are essential for both maintaining pluripotency and differentiation.