© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 99
P.V. Pham (ed.), Stem Cell Processing, Stem Cells in Clinical Applications,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-40073-0_5
Chapter 5
The Effects of Ageing on Proliferation
Potential, Differentiation Potential and Cell
Surface Characterisation of Human
Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Emma Fossett , Yiannis Pengas , and Wasim S. Khan
5.1 Introduction
Stem cells are an undifferentiated population that develop asymmetrically generating
specialised cell types through cell differentiation and possess the ability to self-
renew (Kanitkar et al. 2011 ). Stem cells are a slow cycling but highly clonogenic
population. Stem cells have a varying differentiation potential depending on their
hierarchical position. The earliest and most potent stem cell of the human body, the
fertilised oocyte, is totipotent, having the potential to differentiate into all cell types
of the embryo, as well as trophoblasts of the placenta. As differentiation of the oocyte
into the blastocyst occurs, potency of the cells decreases. The inner cell mass (ICM)
cells are pluripotent, with the capacity to differentiate into cells of the three germ
layers: endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm. As development of the foetus continues,
cells become progressively more restricted in differentiation potential, with the pro-
duction of multipotent, oligopotent and unipotent stem cells (Alison et al. 2002 ).
The two types of stem cells with a large research and clinical application interest
are embryonic stem (ES) cells and adult stem cells. ES cells are derived from human
embryos in the blasto cyst stage of development. The blastocyst is formed at days 4–5
after fertilisation and is composed of an inner cell mass (ICM) and an outer cell mass.
It is the ICM that is the source of these pluripotent embryonic stem cells that have the
ability to differentiate into all three germ layers producing all specialised cells of the
human body, except supporting tissues of the embryo (Alison et al. 2002 ).
Stem cells of a multipotential nature, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), have been
discovered in adult tissue. As ethical issues surround the use of ES cells and permission
of their use being limited in many countries, the focu s has turned to investigating the
E. Fossett • Y. Pengas • W. S. Khan (*)
University College London Institute for Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Sciences,
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital , Stanmore HA7 4LP , UK
e-mail: [email protected]