Ex vivo generation of mature and functional human smooth muscle cells differentiated from skeletal myoblasts

Exp Cell Res. 2007 Apr 15;313(7):1337-46. doi: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2007.01.022. Epub 2007 Feb 8.

Abstract

We described the ex vivo production of mature and functional human smooth muscle cells (SMCs) derived from skeletal myoblasts. Initially, myoblasts expressed all myogenic cell-related markers such as Myf5, MyoD and Myogenin and differentiate into myotubes. After culture in a medium containing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), these cells were shown to have adopted a differentiated SMC identity as demonstrated by alphaSMA, SM22alpha, calponin and smooth muscle-myosin heavy chain expression. Moreover, the cells cultured in the presence of VEGF did not express MyoD anymore and were unable to fuse in multinucleated myotubes. We demonstrated that myoblasts-derived SMCs (MDSMCs) interacted with endothelial cells to form, in vitro, a capillary-like network in three-dimensional collagen culture and, in vivo, a functional vascular structure in a Matrigel implant in nonobese diabetic-severe combined immunodeficient mice. Based on the easily available tissue source and their differentiation into functional SMCs, these data argue that skeletal myoblasts might represent an important tool for SMCs-based cell therapy.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / analysis
  • Cell Differentiation*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Collagen / pharmacology*
  • Drug Combinations
  • Epithelial Cells / physiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Laminin / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, SCID
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / physiology
  • Myoblasts, Skeletal / drug effects
  • Myoblasts, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Myoblasts, Skeletal / physiology*
  • Myoblasts, Skeletal / transplantation
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / metabolism
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / physiology*
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / transplantation
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic
  • Proteoglycans / pharmacology*
  • Tissue Culture Techniques*
  • Transplantation, Heterologous
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / pharmacology

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Drug Combinations
  • Laminin
  • Proteoglycans
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • matrigel
  • Collagen