Neural cell differentiation in vitro from adult human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Bone marrow ( BM) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are cells capable of expanding and differentiating in vitro into nonhematopoietic cells. Neurotrophic cytokines, such as human epidermal growth factor ( hEGF) and bovine fibroblast growth factor ( bFGF) can induce differentiation into neural cells (NCs). When BM MSCs were cultured with hEGF and bFGF, RNA expression of neuronal specific markers Nestin, MAP-2, and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were observed. We tested a new cytokine combination to generate mature NCs. The plastic-adherent cells were collected and then split when they were 90% confluent from an enriched mononuclear cell layer. At passage 3, MSCs were cultured in neural differentiation media ( dbcAMP, IBMX, FGF-8, BDNF, hEGF, and bFGF in NEUROBASAL media plus B27). Cells were counted on day 6. Immunofluorescent staining and reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR were performed to evaluate the expression of neural markers. On day 6, 66% of cells developed dendrites and presented typical neural cell morphology. Some cells were positive for early neural markers Nestin and beta-tubulin III. Cells expressing mature neuronal markers (NF, NeuN, Tau, Nurr1, GABA, oligodendryte GalC, and glial GFAP) were also seen. By adding hEGF, bFGF, dbcAMP, IBMX, BDNF, and bFGF-8 into NEUROBASAL media plus B27, BM MSCs were directed toward becoming early and mature NCs.