Ex vivo differentiation of multipotent adult progenitor cells to skin epidermal cells

Abstract Objective By establishing the indirect contact co-culture system, we studied the in vitro condition for MAPCs differentiating into epidermal cells and the transformation of MAPCs into epidermal cell phenotype. Methods Cell culture insert membrane was used for substitute basal membrane and MAPCs, fibroblast cells (FCs) and mixture of MAPCs and epidermal cells and FCs were separately implanted into 2 sides of it. PKH26 was used to label cloned MAPCs; type IV collagen rapid adhering method was used to isolate and culture the skin epidermal cells from 1-day-old SD rat. Results Part of the MAPCs transformed into cells expressing keratin in the presence of peripheral epithelia and FCs. Type IV collagen rapid adhering method successfully selected rats' epidermal stem cells. The mixture of the 2 kinds of cells or indirect culture might promote the differentiation through mesenchymal factors secreted by dermis FC. Conclusion We were the first to have established the in vitro model of MAPCs differentiation into epidermal cells, in which MAPCs were transformed into epithelium-like cells.