Enhancing the Developmental Potential of Murine Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Submitting Student(s)

Kathryn Victoria SteversonFollow

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Biology

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Matthew Stern

Abstract

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are multipotent somatic stem cells obtained from the microvasculature of adipose tissue. ADSCs cannot match the differentiation potential of pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ES cells). However, previous studies have suggested that the non-traditional method of culturing ADSCs as three-dimensional spheroids can induce the expression of factors associated with pluripotency, including the transcription factor Oct-4. We hypothesize that nontraditional, three-dimensional spheroid culturing of ADSCs can upregulate the expression of several genes associated with pluripotency as well as increase the differentiation potential of ADSCs. Here we show that murine ES cells cultured in our lab maintain expression of genes associated with the pluripotent state and known to be expressed in ES cells, thereby validating our ES cell culture conditions for future studies. We also show that ADSCs cultured under traditional two-dimensional conditions do not express markers of pluripotency. Interestingly, the expression of several genes known to be expressed in populations of somatic stem cells does vary with the level of confluence of ADSCs and is also affected by medium supplementation with murine leukemia inhibitory factor (mLIF), which is used to maintain pluripotency in cultured murine ES cells. Future work will examine the expression of the same subset of genes in ADSCs cultured as three-dimensional spheroids in the presence/absence of mLIF and murine embryonic fibroblast feeder cells.

Honors Thesis Committee

Matthew Stern, Ph.D.; Laura Glasscock, Ph.D.; Kathryn Kohl, Ph.D.

Previously Presented/Performed?

National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), Asheville, North Carolina, April 2016
South Carolina Academy of Science Annual Meeting, Winthrop University, April 2016

Grant Support?

Supported by grants from the South Carolina INBRE Developmental Research Project (DRP) Program and the Winthrop University Research Council

Start Date

22-4-2016 12:55 PM

End Date

22-4-2016 1:10 PM

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Apr 22nd, 12:55 PM Apr 22nd, 1:10 PM

Enhancing the Developmental Potential of Murine Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

DiGiorgio Campus Center, Room 221

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are multipotent somatic stem cells obtained from the microvasculature of adipose tissue. ADSCs cannot match the differentiation potential of pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ES cells). However, previous studies have suggested that the non-traditional method of culturing ADSCs as three-dimensional spheroids can induce the expression of factors associated with pluripotency, including the transcription factor Oct-4. We hypothesize that nontraditional, three-dimensional spheroid culturing of ADSCs can upregulate the expression of several genes associated with pluripotency as well as increase the differentiation potential of ADSCs. Here we show that murine ES cells cultured in our lab maintain expression of genes associated with the pluripotent state and known to be expressed in ES cells, thereby validating our ES cell culture conditions for future studies. We also show that ADSCs cultured under traditional two-dimensional conditions do not express markers of pluripotency. Interestingly, the expression of several genes known to be expressed in populations of somatic stem cells does vary with the level of confluence of ADSCs and is also affected by medium supplementation with murine leukemia inhibitory factor (mLIF), which is used to maintain pluripotency in cultured murine ES cells. Future work will examine the expression of the same subset of genes in ADSCs cultured as three-dimensional spheroids in the presence/absence of mLIF and murine embryonic fibroblast feeder cells.