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Ryu, Cho, Woo, Seoh, Jung, and Han: Hepatocyte Growth Factor is the Key Cytokine in Stimulating Potential Stem Cells in the Cord Blood into Hepatic Lineage Cells
Original Article

Immune Network 2007; 7(3): 117-123.

Published online: 30 September 2007

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2007.7.3.117

Hepatocyte Growth Factor is the Key Cytokine in Stimulating Potential Stem Cells in the Cord Blood into Hepatic Lineage Cells

Kyung-Ha Ryu1, Su-Jin Cho1, So-Youn Woo2, Ju-Young Seoh2, Yun-Jae Jung3, Ho-Seong Han4

1Department of Pediatrics, Ewha Medical Research Institute, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

2Department of Microbiology, Ewha Medical Research Institute, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

3Department of Microbiology, Gachon Medical School, Incheon, Korea.

4Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Correspondence to: Ho-Seong Han, Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 300, Gumi-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam 463-707, Korea. (Tel) 82-31-787-7091, (Fax) 82-31-787-4055, (E-mail) hanhs@snubh.org

Copyright © 2007 The Korean Association of Immunologists

(open-access):

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Background

This study was designed to investigate the role of the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) with regards to differentiation of somatic stem cells originating from the human umbilical cord blood (UCB) into hepatic lineage cells in vitro culture system.

Methods

Mononuclear cells from UCB were cultured with and without HGF based on the fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-1, FGF-2, and stem cell factor. The cultured cells were confirmed by immunofluorescent staining analysis with albumin (ALB), cytokeratin-19 (CK-19), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) MoAb. ALB and CK-18 mRNA were also evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In order to observe changes in proliferating capacity with respect to the cultured period, CFSE with affinity to proliferating cells were tagged and later underwent flow cytometry.

Results

In the HGF-treated group, cultured cells had a large oval shaped appearance with adherent, but easily detachable characteristics. In the HGF-non treated group, these cells were spindle-shaped with strong adherent characteristics. Expressions of ALB and CK-19 were evident in HGF-treated group compared to non-expression of those in to HGF-non treated group. Dual immunostaining analysis of the ALB producing cells showed presence of PCNA in their nuclei, and ALB and CK-18 mRNA were detected on the 21st day of cultured cells in the HGF-treated group.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that HGF has a pivotal role in differentiating somatic stem cells of human UCB into hepatic lineage cells in vitro.

Keywords: Hepatic growth factor, somatic stem cells, umbilical cord blood, differentiation, hepatic lineage cells

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