Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

Assessment of the Immunomodulatory Properties of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)
06:20

Assessment of the Immunomodulatory Properties of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)

Published on: December 24, 2015

Human mesenchymal stromal cells senesce with exogenous OCT4

Bithiah Grace Jaganathan1, Dominique Bonnet

  • 1Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Cancer Research UK, London, UK.

Cytotherapy
|July 4, 2012
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Overexpressing Octamer binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) in human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) unexpectedly induced senescence, suggesting Oct4 has different roles in adult and embryonic systems.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Stem Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) identified in 1970 possess differentiation and immunosuppressive properties, with potential clinical applications.
  • The self-renewal mechanism of MSC remains poorly understood.
  • Octamer binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) is implicated in embryonic stem cell self-renewal and cancer, and suggested as a multipotency indicator in mouse MSC.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of modulating Octamer binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) expression on human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) biology.
  • To understand the role of Oct4 in MSC self-renewal and multipotency.

Main Methods:

  • Human MSC were cultured and their Octamer binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) expression was modulated using a lentiviral-inducible vector.
  • The impact of Oct4 modulation on MSC biology, including senescence markers, was analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Overexpression of Octamer binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) in human MSC led to early senescence.
  • Increased expression of senescence markers P14 and P16(INK4A) was observed in MSC overexpressing Oct4.

Conclusions:

  • Exogenously expressed Octamer binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) plays a differential role in adult human mesenchymal stromal cells compared to embryonic systems.
  • The findings suggest Oct4's function is context-dependent, differing between adult and embryonic cell types.

More Related Videos

Comparison of Two Representative Methods for Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into Mesenchymal Stromal Cells06:24

Comparison of Two Representative Methods for Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Published on: October 20, 2023

Evaluation of Injury-induced Senescence and In Vivo Reprogramming in the Skeletal Muscle09:14

Evaluation of Injury-induced Senescence and In Vivo Reprogramming in the Skeletal Muscle

Published on: October 26, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:06

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic cells are...
Mesenchymal Stem Cells01:19

Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that can differentiate into most connective tissue cell types, except for hematopoietic cells, depending upon the source of MSCs. For example, bone-marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) can differentiate into osteocytes, hepatocytes, and pancreatic and neuronal cells. MSCs can be isolated from various sources such as bone marrow, placenta, adipose tissue, teeth, and Wharton’s jelly, a gelatinous substance in the umbilical cord. The ease of their access...
Embryonic Stem Cells00:57

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming01:29

Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming

Reprogramming alters the gene expression in somatic cells, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells over several generations. Scientists can reprogram cells by introducing genes for four transcription factors—Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) by viral or non-viral methods. These factors are also known as Yamanaka factors after Shinya Yamanaka, who first generated iPS cells using mouse skin cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for this...
Multipotency of Hematopoietic Stem Cells01:19

Multipotency of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

The hematopoietic stem cells or HSCs are multipotent, meaning they can differentiate and give rise to all blood and immune cells. HSCs are maintained in the quiescent stage until an external stimulus initiates their differentiation. The multipotent HSCs exist as two heterogeneous populations, long-term repopulating cells (LTRC) and short-term repopulating cells (STRC). The two HSC populations have different surface markers or receptors and are classified based on quiescence and long-term...