Differentiation and telomerase activity of human mesenchymal stem cells

OBJECTIVE: To study the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human fetal bone marrow and observe its telomerase activity. METHODS: MSCs were isolated from fetal bone marrow of the femur followed by cell culture and amplification. In situ hybridization was employed to detect telomerase activity in the MSCs. Subcutaneous implantation of MSCs into nude mice was performed to observe their differentiation potentials 4 weeks after the implantation. RESULTS: Human MSCs were found positive for telomerase activity and they showed the potential to differentiate into such tissue cells as of the bone, cartilage, adipose, skeletal muscle, tendon-like tissue and unmyelinated nerve fiber-like bundles. CONCLUSION: Human MSCs are multipotent stem cells that may differentiate into many types of tissue cells with high levels of telomerase activity.