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