Antifibrotic Activity of Human Placental Amnion Membrane-Derived CD34+ Mesenchymal Stem/Progenitor Cell Transplantation in Mice With Thioacetamide-Induced Liver Injury

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of MSC-based cell transplantation as an alternative treatment for liver fibrosis. A CD34-positive subpopulation of human placental amnion membrane-derived stem/progenitor cells (CD34+ AMSPCs) was isolated through the depletion of CD34-negative stromal fibroblasts (CD34– AMSFCs) facilitated by CD34 fluorescence-activated cell sorting, enriched and expanded ex vivo. These cells express pluripotency markers and demonstrate multidirectional differentiation potentials. Comparative analysis was made between CD34+ AMSPCs and CD34– AMSFCs in terms of the expressions of stemness surface markers, embryonic surface antigens, and multilineage differentiation potentials. A mouse model of liver fibrosis was established by thioacetamide (TAA) administration. When injected into the spleen of TAA-injured mice, human placental amnion membrane-derived MSCs (hAM-MSCs) can engraft into the injury site, ameliorate liver fibrosis, and restore liver function, as shown by pathological and blood biochemical analysis and downregulated gene expressions associated with liver damage. CD34+ AMSPCs represent a more primitive subset of hAM-MSCs and could be a suitable candidate with a potentially better safety profile for cell-based therapy in treatment of liver diseases associated with fibrosis.

Significance
In this study, a CD34+ subpopulation of stem/progenitor cells derived from neonatal placental amnion membrane, denoted as CD34+ AMSPCs, w...

Source: Stem Cells Translational Medicine - October 18, 2016 Category: Stem Cells Authors: Lee, P.-H., Tu, C.-T., Hsiao, C.-C., Tsai, M.-S., Ho, C.-M., Cheng, N.-C., Hung, T.-M., Shih, D. T.-b. Tags: Amniotic Stem Cells, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Tissue-Specific Progenitor and Stem Cells Source Type: research