162
induction with 5-azacytidine [ 44 ]. In vivo regenerative potential of these cells was
studied in an experimental model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) disease
in immunodeficient (mdx) mice. DMD is a devastating genetic disorder character-
ized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness owing to lack of dystrophin
expression at the sarcolemma of muscle fibres [ 62 ]. When injected into the right
thigh muscle of experimental DMD models, EnSCs contributed to recovery of dys-
trophin expression and subsequent muscle repair. The authors attributed the regen-
eration of muscle fibres to two different mechanisms: (1) myogenic differentiation
of implanted or transplanted cells and/or (2) cell fusion of implanted or transplanted
cells with the host muscle cells. Promising results provided by the study thus sug-
gested the contribution of menstrual blood derived EnSCs towards cell-based thera-
pies for muscle injury or chronic muscular disease.
10.7.3 Cardiac Regeneration Potential of EnSCs
EnSCs appear to be a potential novel, easily accessible source for cardiac regenera-
tion therapy ( [ 59 ]). MSCs derived from the endometrial glands when engrafted into
recipient hearts of nude rats transdifferentiated into cardiac cells in vivo [ 45 ]. Upon
induction in specific culture conditions, these cells began beating spontaneously,
exhibited cardiomyocyte-specific action potential and also expressed cardiac
Table 10.1 In vitro studies on differentiation of human EnSCs
In vitro studies
Lineage Agent Markers identified References
Myogenic 5-Azacytidine MyoD, desmin, and
myogenin
[ 44 ]
Cardiac Co-culture with fetal cardiomyocytes Cardiac troponin and
alpha-actinin
[ 45 ]
Neuronal Biocompatible/biodegradable
nanofibrous scaffolds seeded with
EnSCs
Beta-tubulin III, islet-1,
neurofilament-H, HB9,
Pax6, and choactase
[ 46 ]; [ 47 ]
Fibrin gels + EnSC derived neuron-
like cells
B-Tubulin III and NF-L
choline acetyltransferase,
microtubule associated
protein 2, neurofilament
L
[ 48 ]
EnSCs + growth factors - NGF and
bFGF
[ 49 ]
Co-culture with OGD exposed
primary neurons
VEGF, BDNF, and NT-3 [ 50 ]
Pancreatic Extracellular matrix supplemented
with induction factors
PAX4, PDX1, GLUT2
and insulin
[ 51 ]
Serum-free modified pancreatic
selection medium
NKx2.2, Glut2, insulin,
glucagon, somatostatin
and c-peptide
[ 52 ]
K.G. Aghila Rani and T. Madan