Differentiation of human male germ cells from Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells

• Published in: Clinical and experimental reproductive medicine 2018-06, Vol.45 (2), p.75-81
• Main Authors: Dissanayake, Dmab, Patel, H, Wijesinghe, P S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Original
• ISSN: 2233-8233; 2233-8241
• DOI: 10.5653/cerm.2018.45.2.75

Recapitulation of the spermatogenesis process is a tool for studying the biology of germ cells, and may lead to promising therapeutic strategies in the future. In this study, we attempted to transdifferentiate Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) into male germ cells using all- retinoic acid and Sertoli cell-conditioned medium. Human WJ-MSCs were propagated by the explant culture method, and cells at the second passage were induced with differentiation medium containing all- retinoic acid for 2 weeks. Putative germ cells were cultured with Sertoli cell-conditioned medium at 36℃ for 3 more weeks. The gene expression profile was consistent with the stage-specific development of germ cells. The expression of and (early germ cell markers) was diminished, while (a premeiotic marker), (a meiotic marker), and and (postmeiotic markers) were upregulated during the induction period. In morphological studies, approximately 5% of the cells were secondary spermatocytes that had completed two stages of acrosome formation (the Golgi phase and the cap phase). A few spermatid-like cells that had undergone the initial stage of tail formation were also noted. Human WJ-MSCs can be transdifferentiated into more advanced stages of germ cells by a simple two-step induction protocol using retinoic acid and Sertoli cell-conditioned medium.