Isolation and characterization of multipotent human keloid-derived mesenchymal-like stem cells

In this study, we report the isolation and characterization of a population of multipotent keloid-derived mesenchymal-like stem cells (KMLSCs) from keloid scalp tissues. These KMLSCs expressed the typical mesenchymal stem cell marker proteins CD13, CD29, CD44, CD90, fibronectin, and vimentin when they were cultured in serum-containing medium and when subsequent exposure to various differentiation media resulted in their differentiation into adipocytes, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, smooth muscle cells, and angiogenic endothelial cells. When KMLSCs were cultured in neural stem culture conditions (i.e., in the presence of epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor 2 in substrate-free conditions), they produced large numbers of neurospheres containing nestin-, CD133-, and SOX2-positive cells that expressed neural-crest stem cell markers. Subsequent exposure of these cells to different differentiation conditions resulted in cells that expressed neuronal cell-, astrocyte-, oligodendrocyte-, or Schwann cell-specific markers. Our study suggests that KMLSCs may be an alternative adult stem cell resource for regenerative tissue repair and auto-transplantation.