Isolation and Characterization of Palatal Neural Crest-Derived Stem Cells as a Source of Multipotent Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Abstract

The increasing global demand for organ and tissue transplantation, coupled with the limited supply of available organs, underscores the urgent need for alternative therapies. Personalized cell therapy using stem cells is a promising field of medical research. However, conventional techniques, such as embryonic stem cell treatment and induced pluripotent stem cell therapy, face significant ethical and practical challenges, including the use of human embryos and the risk of tumorigenesis. A novel approach involving the use of small molecules to modify cell signaling has shown considerable promise for overcoming these limitations. Our research focused on inducing neural crest-derived stem cells (NCDSCs) from adult mouse palate cells using neural crest stem cell medium supplemented with specific small molecules. These NCDSCs were converted into mesenchymal stem cell-like cells by incubation with α-MEM. Importantly, NCDSCs are multipotent and can differentiate into various cell types. We demonstrated their differentiation into mesodermal lineage cells, such as osteocytes, adipocytes, and chondrocytes. In addition, NCDSCs have the potential to differentiate into ectodermal lineage cells, including neurons, melanocytes, and corneal endothelial cells. This highlights the broad differentiation potential of NCDSCs. Our study successfully achieved trilineage differentiation of mesenchymal stem cell-like cells into osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic cells. These findings suggest that it is feasible to develop personalized cell therapies using a patient’s own palatal cells. This approach can generate the required cell types for various treatments, potentially addressing the shortage of donor organs and reducing the risk of immune rejection. In summary, our research provides evidence that small molecule-induced NCDSCs can be a versatile and effective source of cells for personalized therapeutic applications. This method holds significant promise for advancing regenerative medicine and developing treatments tailored to individual patients.