Imaging in Stem Cell Transplant and Cell-based Therapy

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