Stem Cell Research; Cord Blood-Derived MSCs Can Be Chemically Transformed into Cardiomyocytes

March 6, 2006
Cardiovascular Week

2006 MAR 6 - (NewsRx.com) -- Umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells can be chemically transformed into cardiomyocytes.

According to recent research from Iran, "Cardiomyocyte loss in the ischemically injured human heart often leads to irreversible defects in cardiac function.

"Recently, cellular cardiomyoplasty with mesenchymal stem cells, which are multipotent cells with the ability to differentiate into specialized cells under appropriate stimuli, has emerged as a new approach for repairing damaged myocardium."

"In the present study," wrote M. Kadivar and colleagues at the Pasteur Institute of Iran, "the potential of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into cells with characteristics of cardiomyocyte was investigated.

"Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from endothelial/subendothelial layers of the human umbilical cords using a method similar to that of human umbilical vein endothelial cell isolation. Isolated cells were characterized by transdifferentiation ability to adipocytes and osteoblasts, and also with flow cytometry analysis."

"After treatment with 5-azacytidine," researchers said, "the human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells were morphologically transformed into cardiomyocyte-like cells and expressed cardiac differentiation markers. During the differentiation, cells were monitored by a phase contrast microscope and their morphological changes were demonstrated."

The authors continued, "Immunostaining of the differentiated cells for sarcomeric myosin (MF20), desmin, cardiac troponin I, and sarcomeric alpha-actinin was positive. RT-PCR analysis showed that these differentiated cells express cardiac-specific genes. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a cardiomyocyte-like ultrastructure and typical sarcomers.

"These observations confirm that human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells can be chemically transformed into cardiomyocytes and can be considered as a source of cells for cellular cardiomyoplasty," concluded investigators.

Kadivar and colleagues published their study in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (In vitro cardiomyogenic potential of human umbilical vein-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2006;340(2):639-47).

For additional information, contact M. Kadivar, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Dept. of Biochemistry, Tehran, Iran.

Publisher contact information for the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications is: Academic Press Inc. Elsevier Science, 525 B St., Ste. 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495, USA.

Keywords: Tehran, Iran, Umbilical Cord Blood-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Cardiomyocyte, Cardiac Differentiation Markers, Cellular Cardiomyoplasty.

------------------------------------------------------------------------