Abstract: | Since the discovery of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), the native identity and
localization of MSCs have been obscured by their retrospective
isolation in culture. Recently, using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), we and
other researchers prospectively identified and purified three subpopulations of
multipotent precursor cells associated with the vasculature of human skeletal muscle.
These three cell populations: myogenic endothelial cells (MECs), pericytes (PCs), and
adventitial cells (ACs), are localized respectively to the three structural layers of
blood vessels: intima, media, and adventitia. All of these human blood-vessel-derived stem
cell (hBVSC) populations not only express classic MSC markers but also possess mesodermal
developmental potentials similar to typical MSCs. Previously, MECs, PCs, and ACs have been
isolated through distinct protocols and subsequently characterized in separate studies.
The current isolation protocol, through modifications to the isolation process and
adjustments in the selective cell surface markers, allows us to simultaneously purify all
three hBVSC subpopulations by FACS from a single human muscle biopsy. This new method will
not only streamline the isolation of multiple BVSC subpopulations but also facilitate
future clinical applications of hBVSCs for distinct therapeutic purposes. |