Photobiomodulation and gametogenic potential of human Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal cells

Abstract Recently, light emitting diode (LED) irradiation has been introduced as a new strategy to enhance proliferation and affect differentiation of stem cells. Human Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal (hWJM) cells have unique characteristics that make them an appropriate source of stem cells for use in basic and clinical applications. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of polarized (PL) and non-polarized (NPL) red light irradiation on gametogenic differentiation of hWJM cells in the presence or absence of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and retinoic acid (RA). Exposure of hWJM cells to PL and NPL red LED (625 nm, 1.9 J/cm 2 ) with or without BMP4+RA pre-treatment effectively differentiated them into germ lineage when the gene expression pattern (Fragilis, DAZL, VASA, SCP3 and Acrosin) and protein synthesis (anti-DAZL, anti-VASA, anti-SCP3 and anti-Acrosin antibodies) of the induced cells was evaluated. These data demonstrated that photobiomodulation may be applied for gametogenic differentiation in-vitro.