| Pluripotent stem cells are derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) or from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) that have been reprogrammed from somatic cells. While it is known that hESC cells can be differentiated to numerous somatic cell types, it remains unclear if reprogrammed somatic cells iPS-derived cells are similar to those derived from hESC cells in their gene expression or behavior during differentiation. BJ fibroblast cells, iPDK2 (iPS) derived from BJ cells, and EDK6 (hESC) derived from H9 cell lines were used in my study. My hypothesis is that CD marker profile can be used to distinguish between different populations of stromal fibroblasts with distinct functional properties such as self-assembly ability. BJ fibroblast cells, iPDK2 , and EDK6 cells were grown in submerged culture with the presence and absence of ascorbic acid that is known to increase extra-cellular matrix production (ECM) and characterization by flow analysis was performed. Our findings demonstrate that EDK6 expressed CD105 as 2 subpopulations, one negative to CD105 and one positive to CD105. iPDK2 expressed CD106 while BJ cells which they were derived from did not. Furthermore ascorbic acid and prolonged cell culture did change cell properties over time. The decrease of CD106 on iPDK2 cells is related to cell differentiation and may explain and support the hypothesis that the iPDK2 cells retain fibroblast-like features as well as mesenchymal like characteristics. We can conclude that iPDK2 cells have properties that are similar to both fibroblasts from which they were derived (BJ) and to hESC-derived cells (EDK6). |
