Isolation of an adult blood‐derived progenitor cell population capable of differentiation into angiogenic, myocardial and neural lineages

• Published in: British journal of haematology Vol. 135; no. 5; pp. 703 - 714
• Main Authors: Porat, Yael, Porozov, Svetlana, Belkin, Danny, Shimoni, Daphna, Fisher, Yehudit, Belleli, Adina, Czeiger, David, Silverman, William F., Belkin, Michael, Battler, Alexander, Fulga, Valentin, Savion, Naphtali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2006; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Adult Stem Cells - cytology; Adult Stem Cells - immunology; Adult Stem Cells - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Calcium - metabolism; cell culture; Cell Culture Techniques; Cell Differentiation; Cell Lineage; Cell Separation - methods; cell therapy; Cytokines - immunology; differentiation; Endothelial Cells - cytology; Endothelium, Vascular; Flow Cytometry; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Medical sciences; Myocytes, Cardiac - cytology; Neovascularization, Physiologic; Neurons - cytology; progenitor cells; stem cells; Tissue Donors; Human; Cell culture; stem cells; Cell therapy; differentiation; Hematology; Stem cell; Hematopoietic cell; Nervous system; progenitor cells; Cell differentiation; Angiogenesis; Treatment; Myocardium; Adult; Circulatory system; Neovascularization
• ISSN: 0007-1048; 1365-2141
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2006.06344.x

Summary Blood‐derived adult stem cells were previously considered impractical for therapeutic use because of their small numbers. This report describes the isolation of a novel human cell population derived from the peripheral blood, termed synergetic cell population (SCP), and defined by the expression of CD31Bright, CD34+, CD45−/Dim and CD34Bright, but not lineage‐specific features. The SCP was capable of differentiating into a variety of cell lineages upon exposure to defined culture conditions. The resulting cells exhibited morphological, immunocytochemical and functional characteristics of angiogenic, neural or myocardial lineages. Angiogenic cell precursors (ACPs) expressed CD34, CD133, KDR, Tie‐2, CD144, von Willebrand factor, CD31Bright, concomitant binding of Ulex‐Lectin and uptake of acetylated low density lipoprotein (Ac‐LDL), secreted interleukin‐8, vascular endothelial growth factor and angiogenin and formed tube‐like structures in vitro. The majority of CD31Bright ACP cells demonstrated Ac‐LDL uptake. Neural cell precursors (NCPs) expressed the neuronal markers Nestin, βIII‐Tubulin, and Neu‐N, the glial markers GFAP and O4, and responded to neurotransmitter stimulation. Myocardial cell precursors (MCPs) expressed Desmin, cardiac Troponin and Connexin 43. In conclusion, the simple and rapid method of SCP generation and the resulting considerable quantities of lineage‐specific precursor cells makes it a potential source of autologous treatment for a variety of diseases.