Establishment of a model for investigating the in vitro differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord blood into keratinocytes: an approach to study the biology of the skin

• Grant number: 13/03503-3
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: July 01, 2013 - February 29, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Viviane Abreu Nunes Cerqueira Dantas
• Grantee: Viviane Abreu Nunes Cerqueira Dantas
• Home Institution: Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Andrezza Justino Gozzo Andreotti ; Anna Karenina Azevedo Martins ; Mariana da Silva Araujo

Abstract

The human skin is essential for life, isolating the organic components of the external environment. Human skin consists essentially of three layers: the epidermis, the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The epidermal cells, keratinocytes, are constantly renewed, however, certain pathological conditions such as psoriasis, can affect the proliferation and differentiation of these cells. Different approaches have been proposed for studying events involved in differentiation of keratinocytes. In this context, stem cells emerges, whose potential for self renewal and the ability to generate distinct cell lines with different functions have allowed research on the therapeutic applications of these cells, and the study of different biological processes. An important source of stem cells is represented by the human umbilical cord blood (UCB), formed by hematopoietic and non hematopoietic (mesenchymal) components. It has been shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in UCB are capable of differentiating into cell types such as neurons, hepatic, endothelial and muscle cells both in vitro and in vivo. Considering these results and the fact that differentiated keratinocytes from epithelial stem cells are considered difficult to isolate, we are interested in to assess the potential of differentiation of MSC from UCB into keratinocytes, and to study some molecular events involved in this process as the expression of epidermal cell specific markers (p63, cytokeratins 5 and 10), and the expression and activity of different proteases, including kallikreins 5, 6 and 7. In addition to medical therapy, the development of protocols of differentiation of stem cells into keratinocytes may provide useful tools for studying the biology of the skin using in vitro models. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DOS SANTOS, JENIFFER FARIAS; BORCARI, NATHALIA RUDER; ARAUJO, MARIANA DA SILVA; NUNES, VIVIANE ABREU. Mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into keratinocytes and express epidermal kallikreins: Towards an in vitro model of human epidermis. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, v. 120, n. 8, p. 13141-13155, AUG 2019. Web of Science Citations: 1.