乳鼠肌源性干细胞向许旺样细胞的诱导分化

背景：有证据显示,肌源性干细胞能够促进肌纤维的再生,增强再生肌组织的功能,并具有分化为神经外膜组织细胞和具有许旺细胞表型细胞的潜能。 目的：分析许旺细胞条件培液诱导小鼠乳鼠源肌源性干细胞向许旺细胞的分化,探讨其作为神经组织工程的种子细胞的可行性。 方法：取C57BL/6乳鼠四肢骨骼肌,采用改良的Preplate技术纯化培养肌源性干细胞,利用抗体Desmin和Sca-1对纯化后的细胞进行免疫细胞化学鉴定。采用许旺细胞条件培液诱导其向许旺细胞分化,并行许旺细胞特异性抗体S100β、P75NTR免疫细胞化学鉴定。 结果与结论：从小鼠骨骼肌中分离得到肌源性干细胞,能在体外稳定增殖传代,Desmin和Sca-1免疫细胞化学染色阳性。肌源性干细胞经体外诱导分化后部分细胞S100β、P75NTR染色阳性。说明应用改良的Preplate方法,可从新生小鼠骨骼肌中分离得到肌源性干细胞;采用许旺细胞条件培液能将其诱导分化为许旺样细胞,有可能成为神经组织工程神经较理想的许旺细胞替代物。     

山羊神经干细胞的分离培养及体外诱导分化

背景:文献报道不同种类的神经调控因子及神经胶质细胞对神经干细胞分化成熟具有不同的作用,但大动物的神经干细胞培养报道则相对较少。目的:探究山羊神经干细胞的培养条件及体外诱导分化结果。方法:取幼羊脑组织分离神经干细胞后于神经干细胞全培养液中悬浮培养,后期行抗-巢蛋白一抗免疫组织化学染色鉴定,同时取坐骨神经分离培养许旺细胞;以血清诱导干细胞体外诱导分化后行抗-S100一抗、抗-胶质纤维酸性蛋白一抗、抗-MAP2一抗染色分别标记许旺细胞及神经胶质细胞,以未添加一抗做对照,计算图像灰度值与对照组进行统计学比较。结果与结论:成功分离培养抗-巢蛋白染色阳性神经球及抗-S100染色阳性许旺细胞,后期神经干细胞体外诱导分化得抗-胶质纤维酸性蛋白、抗-MAP2染色阳性细胞,其免疫组织化学染色灰度值显著高于对照组;分化产物抗-S100染色为阴性,其免疫组织化学染色灰度值显著低于对照组。结果表明山羊神经干细胞可经体外诱导分化为神经元及星形胶质细胞,未发现神经干细胞诱导分化为许旺细胞。     

骨髓基质细胞对共培养条件下的脊髓源性神经干细胞分化为胆碱能神经元的诱导

目的：研究骨髓基质细胞对共培养条件下脊髓源性神经干细胞分化为胆碱能神经元的情况。方法：从孕龄13 d的胚胎大鼠脊髓组织中分离神经干细胞,采用含EGF及bFGF的无血清限定性培养基培养,并通过与骨髓基质细胞进行共培养,观察脊髓源神经干细胞向胆碱能神经元分化的情况,用细胞免疫荧光染色鉴定分化结果。结果：从胚胎脊髓中分离得到大量的神经干细胞,通过限定性培养基培养可获得干细胞球,与骨髓基质细胞共培养可被诱导分化,用细胞免疫荧光染色鉴定,可见有胆碱能神经元生成。结论：胚胎大鼠脊髓源神经干细胞在添加EGF与bFGF的限定性培养基中可以增殖并保持稳定的性状,在与骨髓基质细胞共培养时,可以被诱导分化为胆碱能神经元。     

人脐带间充质干细胞与乳鼠许旺细胞共培养向类神经元样细胞的分化

背景:间充质干细胞可以通过化学诱导或者共培养的方法分化为类神经细胞,但是对于间充质干细胞是与许旺细胞共培养分化为类神经元还是类许旺细胞,还存在争议。目的:探索大鼠许旺细胞对人脐带间充质干细胞诱导分化作用。方法:将1×109L-1人脐带间充质干细胞通过Transwell隔离小室与1×109L-1SD乳鼠许旺细胞共培养2周,观察脐带间充质干细胞的形态变化,并用免疫荧光法检测其表型变化。结果与结论:共培养2周后,部分间充质干细胞出现类似神经元的形态,且表达nestin,NF-200,β-Ⅲ-tubulin等神经元特异性标记物,不表达许旺细胞特异性表记物S100和胶质细胞特异性标记物MAB1580。提示人脐带间充质干细胞可以与大鼠许旺细胞非接触共培养分化为类神经元。     

羊膜上皮细胞条件培养液对大鼠骨髓基质细胞神经分化的影响

目的探讨羊膜上皮细胞条件培养液对大鼠骨髓基质细胞分化为神经细胞的作用。方法体外分离、培养羊膜上皮细胞及大鼠骨髓基质干细胞,流式细胞术检测其表面抗原,免疫组织化学染色技术检测巢蛋白(Nestin)以及增殖细胞相关核抗原(ki67)在细胞中的表达。采用羊膜上皮细胞条件培养液对其进行诱导,倒置相差显微镜观察细胞形态的变化,免疫荧光染色技术检测神经特异烯醇化酶(NSE)以及多巴胺能神经元标志物酪氨酸羟化酶(TH)和多巴胺转运体(DAT)在诱导后细胞中的表达,并进行定量比较分析。结果羊膜上皮细胞条件培养液能够诱导大鼠骨髓基质细胞向神经细胞方向分化。结论羊膜上皮细胞条件培养液可以诱导大鼠骨髓基质细胞分化为神经元样细胞和多巴胺能神经元样细胞。     

与软骨细胞共培养和条件培养液诱导骨髓间充质干细胞向软骨细胞分化的比较

背景：骨髓间充质干细胞体外转化很大程度上依赖于合适的培养条件。 目的：比较与软骨细胞共培养和条件培养液2种不同的诱导方案诱导骨髓间充质干细胞向软骨细胞分化的特点。 方法：分离培养大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞和耳软骨细胞,采用骨髓间充质干细胞与软骨细胞共培养及条件培养液诱导成软骨的方法,诱导骨髓间充质干细胞向软骨细胞分化。以MTT法及流式细胞仪检测细胞活性及周期,糖胺多糖、甲苯胺蓝以及免疫组化染色检测细胞生物学特性,以RT-PCR法检测诱导后的软骨细胞Ⅱ型胶原RNA表达情况。 结果与结论：采用共培养方式诱导的软骨细胞,其生物学特性与采用条件培养液诱导的软骨细胞相比,前者优于后者,如分泌糖胺多糖的能力以及基质分泌量均较高。提示共培养方式诱导的软骨细胞更接近正常软骨细胞,更有利于作为组织工程软骨的种子细胞。     

尿源性干细胞在体外向尿路上皮细胞和平滑肌细胞的分化

文题释义：干细胞分化：干细胞通过体外诱导的方法,基因组在时间和空间上选择性表达,产生特异性蛋白质,定向成为特定的成熟细胞。 平滑肌：是由平滑肌细胞组成的非横纹肌肌肉组织,分布在动脉和静脉血管管壁、膀胱、子宫、男性和女性生殖道、消化道、呼吸道、眼睛的睫状肌和虹膜。 背景：成体干细胞是存在于已分化组织中的多能干细胞,尿源性干细胞为新发现的成体干细胞,具有取材方便、高度增殖能力、多向分化潜能等优点,在组织工程学领域受到重视。 目的：研究人尿源性干细胞体外分离获取的方法,以及体外向尿路上皮细胞和平滑肌细胞分化的可行性。 方法：收集健康成人尿液标本,通过分离、培养获取尿源性干细胞;应用CCK-8实验检测细胞增殖能力,并绘制细胞生长曲线;应用流式细胞仪检测细胞表型;体外应用专用培养基诱导尿源性干细胞向尿路上皮细胞和平滑肌细胞分化;应用荧光定量PCR、免疫组织化学染色、免疫荧光细胞染色和Western blot鉴定尿源性干细胞的分化能力。 结果与结论：①从健康成人尿液中成功分离提取出尿源性干细胞,细胞具有高度增殖能力,生长曲线呈现S型;②尿源性干细胞高表达间充质干细胞表面标记物,CD29表达率为98.11%,CD90表达率为95.74%;③尿源性干细胞经体外诱导分化14 d后,可以表达尿路上皮细胞特异性基因Cytokeratin 7、Cytokeratin 20、Uroplakin Ⅲ和平滑肌细胞特异性基因α-SMA和SM22;④结果表明,尿源性干细胞经过体外诱导可以向尿路上皮细胞和平滑肌细胞分化,能够为尿路组织修复重建提供理想的种子细胞来源。 ORCID: 0000-0002-6460-3332(赵战魁) 中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：干细胞;骨髓干细胞;造血干细胞;脂肪干细胞;肿瘤干细胞;胚胎干细胞;脐带脐血干细胞;干细胞诱导;干细胞分化;组织工程     

许旺细胞培养液诱导NRG1蛋白转染骨髓基质干细胞向类神经元样细胞的转化

背景:国内外研究人员已经利用化学方法或单纯与许旺细胞共培养方法成功将骨髓基质干细胞诱导为许旺细胞样细胞,但仍存在一些弊端,前者对细胞有一定毒性,后者诱导速度慢,耗时较长。目的:探讨大鼠的许旺细胞培养液诱导NRG1转染的骨髓基质干细胞分化成神经组织细胞的可行性。方法:利用NRG1转染骨髓基质干细胞,待生长状态稳定后,将培养液更换为许旺细胞的培养液,置于37℃、体积分数为5%CO2培养箱中培养。结果与结论:经许旺细胞培养液诱导10 d后,光镜下可观察到NRG1转染的骨髓基质干细胞胞体开始回缩,呈梭形,出现许旺细胞样细胞,呈岛屿状紧密排列,免疫荧光染色鉴定诱导后细胞S-100、NSE和GFAP呈阳性表达,NSE表达阳性率为25.32%,GFAP表达阳性率为38.69%,S-100表达阳性率为35.99%,结果表明许旺细胞分泌的细胞因子和NRG1蛋白共作用可以诱导骨髓基质干细胞高效地向神经组织细胞分化,并表达许旺细胞、神经元和胶质细胞表面抗原。     

体外诱导人脐带间充质干细胞分化为许旺细胞

背景：人脐带Wharton’s Jelly源间充质干细胞避免了伦理的限制,来源丰富,可以作为种子细胞进行组织修复。 目的：观察体外诱导脐带Wharton’s Jelly中间充质干细胞向许旺细胞分化的可行性。  方法：分离、培养脐带Wharton’s Jelly中间充质干细胞,流式细胞术鉴定细胞表面标志。利用神经细胞培养基、碱性成纤维生长因子、表皮生长因子、维甲酸、血小板源性生长因子等采用两步法将脐带间充质干细胞诱导分化为许旺细胞,倒置显微镜下观察细胞形态变化。利用免疫细胞化学染色法检测巢蛋白、S-100、纤维酸性蛋白的表达,反转录-聚合酶链反应、免疫印记技术检测许旺细胞特异性蛋白产物表达。 结果与结论：脐带细胞培养第7天形态发生变化,部分细胞变成梭形。原代细胞培养10 d左右可达80%~90%融合,细胞呈梭形。分离培养的细胞表达具有间充质干细胞表面特有标志：CD44(91.4%),CD29(91.3%),CD105(99.2%),不表达CD34(0.2%),CD45(0.9%),CD14(0.6%)。脐带Wharton’s Jelly中间充质干细胞经第一阶段诱导后,细胞由短梭形变成长梭形或纺锤形,并出现聚集现象,由形状规则、表面圆滑的球形细胞团形成。第二阶段诱导后,有长梭形细胞从球形细胞团爬出,96 h后细胞形态多为长梭形,伴有多极现象。免疫细胞化学染色结果示：长梭形多极细胞具有许旺细胞特异的纤维酸性蛋白、S100蛋白染色。结果表明脐带Wharton’s Jelly中间充质干细胞可在体外诱导分化为许旺细胞。     

Neurogenin2基因调控许旺细胞转分化为神经元

背景：Neurogenin2(Ngn2)基因调控星形胶质细胞分化为神经元已被实验证实,这提示许旺细胞也可能通过基因调控分化为神经元。 目的：研究Neurogenin2基因调控大鼠许旺细胞向神经元分化的可行性。 方法：体外培养、纯化及鉴定大鼠许旺细胞,然后用含绿色荧光蛋白基因的慢病毒载体系统将Neurogenin2基因转染导入许旺细胞中,最后用含碱性成纤维细胞生长因子、表皮生长因子和脑源性细胞生长因子的无血清DMEM诱导培养许旺细胞2周。显微镜观察细胞形态,免疫细胞化学检测髓磷脂碱性蛋白及神经元特异性烯醇化酶。 结果与结论：许旺细胞转染导入Neurogenin2基因并诱导分化后,免疫荧光检测发现12.56%的细胞表达神经元标志性蛋白神经元特异性烯醇化酶,而对照组均未发现表达神经元标志性蛋白神经元特异性烯醇化酶。Neurogenin2基因植入可使大鼠许旺细胞表达神经元标志性蛋白神经元特异性烯醇化酶,提示该基因可调控许旺细胞转分化为神经元。中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：干细胞;骨髓干细胞;造血干细胞;脂肪干细胞;肿瘤干细胞;胚胎干细胞;脐带脐血干细胞;干细胞诱导;干细胞分化;组织工程全文链接：     

Dorsal root ganglion neurons induce transdifferentiation of mesenchymal stem cells along a Schwann cell lineage

It has been reported that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can transdifferentiate into Schwann cell-like cells by a series of treatments with a reducing agent, retinoic acid and a combination of trophic factors in vitro, and can transdifferentiate into myelin-forming cells to repair the demyelinated rat spinal cord in vivo. We now report that when co-cultured with dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, MSCs were induced to transdifferentiate into Schwann cell-like cells that had ensheathed DRG axons. Following differentiation, MSCs underwent morphological changes similar to those of cultured Schwann cells and express GFAP and S100, the marker of Schwann cells. Moreover, 6 weeks later, MSCs wrapped their membrane around DRG axons. Further, initiation of myelination was observed in the co-cultured DRG neurons, which was determined by signals to MBP and this initiation of axon myelination by MSCs is similar to that of Schwann cells. However, electron micrographs show that no compact myelin was present in the MSCs co-cultures, whereas the Schwann cells co-cultures had formed a multilammelar myelin sheath around the axon. These indicate that the release of cytokine by DRG neurons may promote the transdifferentiation of MSCs, but is not sufficient to elicit compact myelination by transdifferentiated MSCs. These results improve our understanding in the mechanism of MSC transdifferentiation, and the mechanism underlying ensheathment and myelination by transdifferentiated MSCs.     

Peripheral nerve tissue engineering: autologous Schwann cells vs. transdifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were evaluated as an alternative source for tissue engineering of peripheral nerves. MSCs, transdifferentiated MSCs, or Schwann cells cultured from male rats were grafted into devitalized autologous muscle conduits bridging a 2-cm sciatic nerve gap in female rats. The differentiation potential of MSCs and transformed cultivated MSCs into Schwann cell-like cells was exploited using a cocktail of cytokines. Polymerase chain reaction of the SRY gene confirmed the presence of the implanted cells in the grafts. After 6 weeks, regeneration was monitored clinically, histologically, and morphometrically. Autologous nerves and cell-free muscle grafts were used as control. Revascularization studies suggested that transdifferentiated MSCs, in contrast to undifferentiated MSCs, facilitated neo-angiogenesis and did not influence macrophage recruitment. Autologous nerve grafts demonstrated the best results in all regenerative parameters. An appropriate regeneration was noted in the Schwann cell-groups and, albeit with restrictions, in the transdifferentiated MSC groups, whereas regeneration in the MSC group and in the cell-free group was impaired. The results indicate that transdifferentiated MSCs implanted into devitalized muscle grafts are able to support peripheral nerve regeneration to some extent, and offer a potential for new therapeutic strategies.     

应用改良差速贴壁法和有限稀释技术分离培养小鼠来源肌源干细胞

背景：研究者们通过多种方法从肌组织中分离得到肌源干细胞,并应用于各类组织工程和再生医学研究。 目的：结合改良的差速贴壁法和有限稀释技术分离小鼠来源肌源干细胞,并培养其单细胞克隆和亚克隆集落。 方法：以新生C57BL/6小鼠四肢作为肌组织取材对象,经三重酶消化和细胞筛过滤,运用改良的差速贴壁法分离出肌源干细胞,予细胞特异标记物以免疫组织化学染色;以有限稀释技术克隆培养的方法,获得稳定的肌源干细胞单克隆和亚克隆集落。 结果与结论：差速贴壁培养过程中,肌性细胞占比逐渐增高,首次贴壁1 h可以获得足够数量的细胞进行第6次贴壁培养;肌源干细胞需72 h左右贴壁生长,经10 d左右可以增殖为300~500细胞数量的集落,细胞形态以小圆形细胞为主,并有少量梭形细胞,肌源干细胞能够维持形态并持续增殖;应用有限稀释技术可获得肌源干细胞单克隆和亚克隆集落,肌源干细胞克隆细胞均呈现Desmin染色阳性,Sca-1染色阳性,阳性率为(92.3±4.1)%。提示应用preplate法和有限稀释技术可以分离得到小鼠来源肌源干细胞及其克隆集落。     

Immunocytochemical analysis of glial cells in the hypomyelinated optic nerve of the BW mutant rat

Summary The Browman-Wyse (BW) rat is a mutant with structural defects of the visual system, including a failure of the proximal (retinal) end of the optic nerve to myelinate. This latter abnormality is correlated with an absence of CAII+ oligodendrocytes, but we have previously shown that astrocytes are normally distributed, as judged by morphological characteristics of GFAP+ cellsin vivo. We have further examinedin vitro the immunohistochemical characteristics of macroglia isolated from the BW optic nerve, either as cell suspensions or after 4 days in culture.Cell cultures derived from the hypomyelinated proximal segment of BW optic nerves contained very few 0–2A progenitor cells (from which oligodendrocytes and cells with the GFAP+/A2B5+ phenotype develop), whereas over 90% of the glia were Schwann cells. A proportion of these few 0–2A progenitor cells differentiated normally after 4 daysin vitro into both progeny phenotypes in appropriate media. Accordingly, we conclude that the myelination deficiency in the BW optic nerve could be explained as a failure of 0–2A progenitor cells to populate fully the proximal extremity of the nerve during development.Since most glia isolated from adult optic nerves did not adhere to the culture substrate, we analysed the phenotypes of freshly isolated cells in suspension. Comparing optic nerves of normal adult rats with those of BW mutants, a significantly higher fraction of the GFAP+ cells reacted with A2B5 in cell suspensions of the latter. The double-labelled cells which are present in abnormally high numbers may be the differentiated progeny of 0–2A progenitors in the hypomyelinated segment of nerve. One explanation for these findings is that Schwann cells within the BW nerve induce the differentiation of 0–2A progenitor cells to the GFAP+/A2B5+ phenotype. We investigated this possibility using conditioned medium from cultured Schwann cells which increased tenfold the frequency of GFAP+/A2B5+ cells in normal neonatal rat optic nerve cultures. Oligodendrocyte numbers showed a concomitant decline with increasing concentration of Schwann cell conditioned medium.Hypomyelination in the BW rat optic nerve may therefore arise because Schwann cells, present in the proximal segment of the nerve, not only impede the migration of 0–2A progenitor cells but also release a factor which induces those 0–2A progenitor cells which arrive in the proximal segment of the nerve to differentiate into GFAP+ cells at a critical stage in oligodendrocyte development.     

PACAP保护血管SMC抗LDL损伤的形态学研究

的 :阐明垂体腺苷酸环化酶激活肽 (PACAP)是否对血管平滑肌细胞 (SMC)具有抗损伤保护作用。方法 :以培养的猪肺动脉 SMC为实验对象 ,提取正常人血浆低密度脂蛋白 (L DL )造成细胞的高脂培养环境 ,光镜及电镜下观察 SMC在正常及高脂环境中受 PACAP作用所产生的形态改变。生化方法测定条件培养基中丙二醛 (MDA)的含量。结果 :1L DL 使 SMC的贴壁能力降低 ,细胞外形亦发生极大改变 ;电镜下可见 ,SMC由正常的收缩型变为合成型 ,且细胞膜破坏 ;2 L DL 使 SMC的 MDA产生显著增高 ;3 PACAP可明显减轻 L DL的上述损伤作用。结论 :PACAP可对抗 L DL对 SMC形态和功能的损伤 ,具有 SMC细胞保护作用     

Discharge profiles of abducens, accessory abducens, and orbicularis oculi motoneurons during reflex and conditioned blinks in alert cats

The discharge profiles of identified abducens, accessory abducens, and orbicularis oculi motoneurons have been recorded extra- and intracellularly in alert behaving cats during spontaneous, reflexively evoked, and classically conditioned eyelid responses. The movement of the upper lid and the electromyographic activity of the orbicularis oculi muscle also were recorded. Animals were conditioned by short, weak air puffs or 350-ms tones as conditioned stimuli (CS) and long, strong air puffs as unconditioned stimulus (US) using both trace and delayed conditioning paradigms. Motoneurons were identified by antidromic activation from their respective cranial nerves. Orbicularis oculi and accessory abducens motoneurons fired an early, double burst of action potentials (at 4-6 and 10-16 ms) in response to air puffs or to the electrical stimulation of the supraorbital nerve. Orbicularis oculi, but not accessory abducens, motoneurons fired in response to flash and tone presentations. Only 10-15% of recorded abducens motoneurons fired a late, weak burst after air puff, supraorbital nerve, and flash stimulations. Spontaneous fasciculations of the orbicularis oculi muscle and the activity of single orbicularis oculi motoneurons that generated them also were recorded. The activation of orbicularis oculi motoneurons during the acquisition of classically conditioned eyelid responses happened in a gradual, sequential manner. Initially, some putative excitatory synaptic potentials were observed in the time window corresponding to the CS-US interval; by the second to the fourth conditioning session, some isolated action potentials appeared that increased in number until some small movements were noticed in eyelid position traces. No accessory abducens motoneuron fired and no abducens motoneuron modified their discharge rate for conditioned eyelid responses. The firing of orbicularis oculi motoneurons was related linearly to lid velocity during reflex blinks but to lid position during conditioned responses, a fact indicating the different neural origin and coding of both types of motor commands. The power spectra of both reflex and conditioned lid responses showed a dominant peak at approximately 20 Hz. The wavy appearance of both reflex and conditioned eyelid responses was clearly the result of the high phasic activity of orbicularis oculi motor units. Orbicularis oculi motoneuron membrane potentials oscillated at approximately 20 Hz after supraorbital nerve stimulation and during other reflex and conditioned eyelid movements. The oscillation seemed to be the result of both intrinsic (spike afterhyperpolarization lasting approximately 50 ms, and late depolarizations) and extrinsic properties of the motoneuronal pool and of the circuits involved in eye blinks.     

脱细胞神经基质诱导大鼠骨髓间充质细胞向Schwann细胞分化的形态学研究

为探讨脱细胞神经基质移植物(ANA)体外诱导成年大鼠骨髓间充质细胞(BMSCs)向Schwann细胞分化的可行性,本实验将分离的大鼠BMSCs进行体外培养扩增,行表型鉴定后,取第五代细胞,用ANA匀浆进行诱导。诱导后观察细胞的形态变化,免疫细胞化学染色和流式细胞术分别检测细胞中S-100、神经胶质纤维酸性蛋白(GFAP)的表达情况;RT-PCR检测诱导前后细胞的GFAP及S-100的变化;MTT测定不同诱导剂浓度诱导后的细胞活性。结果显示:BMSCs表型鉴定为CD44+、CD54+、CD34-,免疫细胞化学染色GFAP、S-100阳性细胞比例在诱导后分别为(64±5)%、(42±4)%;流式细胞仪检测和RT-PCR反应均显示GFAP、S-100的表达诱导组较对照组有所升高;MTT检测表明诱导剂浓度为1.0mg/ml时诱导后有活性细胞的数目最多。上述结果提示ANA可诱导成年大鼠骨髓间充质细胞分化为Schwann细胞。     

Skeletal muscle-derived stem cells differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells and aid in liver regeneration

The liver is unique for its ability to regenerate after injury, however, critical injuries or disease cause it to lose this quality. Stem cells have been explored as a possibility to restore the function of seriously damaged livers, based on their self-renewability and multiple differentiation capacity. These experiments examine the ability of muscle derived stem cells (MDSCs) to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells in vitro and acquire functional liver attributes for repairing damaged livers. In vitro experiments were performed using MDSCs from postnatal mice and mouse hepatocyte cell lines. Our data revealed that MDSCs differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells and expressed liver cell markers, albumin, hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α, and alpha feto-protein, both at the RNA and protein level. Additionally, in vivo studies showed successful engraftment of MDSCs into hepatectomized mouse livers of mice. These results provide evidence suggesting that MDSCs have the capacity to differentiate into liver cell-like cells and may serve as potential candidates to aid in liver regeneration.