Defining the condition for the generation of melanocytes from human mesenchymal stem cells in the Wharton's Jelly of human umbilical cord

Mesenchymal stern cells (MSCs) have been developed from different adult tissues and considered an important source of stein cells for cell therapy and regeneration. In this study, we demonstrate that MSCs in Wharton's Jelly of human umbilical cord grown in melanocyte growth medium including stem cell factor (SCF) and endothelin -3 (ET-3) generate melanocyte precursor cells with a higher expression of melanocyte specific isoform of the microphtalmia transcription factor M (MITF-M), and TRP1, but not tyrosinase, terminal differentiation marker melanocytes. Although, in this condition, tyrosinase expression was not detected by using RT-PCR method in whole cells, a few MSCs showed tyrosinase positive in the immunostaining method. In conclusion, in this Study, we demonstrated a possibility that human MSC in Wharton's Jelly of human umbilical cord may be derived to human melanocyte-precursor cells.