骨髓间充质干细胞向神经元细胞诱导分化的研究进展

A Review on Neural Transdifferentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

骨髓间充质干细胞(MSCs)具有多胚层分化特性,是干细胞治疗的重要种子细胞之一。目前,大量体外及体内分化实验表明,MSCs在特定的细胞因子、生长环境及培养时间等条件下可以向神经元细胞分化,表现在其能表达神经元特异标志,并显示出神经元细胞的某些功能;对其分化的机制探索也在逐渐深入。但对于分化的持久性、具体机制如何等问题仍有待进一步研究。

Mesenchymal stem cells have the capacity to transdifferentiate into cells of completely different cell and tissue lineages or germ layers and it may play an important role in stem-cell therapy. At present, results of in vitro and in vivo differentiation tests suggest that MSCs can transdifferentiate into neurons, expressing the very marks of neurons and showing some specific functions, after having been induced by some special cytokine or cultured in special habitat for certain time. Also, the mechanism of the transfifferentiation is being revealed. But questions like whether these neuron-like cells are real neurons, what is the exact mechanism of the transfifferentiation need further exploration.