Embryonic stem cells into urinary epithelium

Asahi, Japan -

Generation of three dimensional structures that can be implanted into patients is one of the exciting prospects offered by stem cell technologies. For example, three dimensional structures such as heart valves and "uteri"https://www.stemcellpatents.com/patents-show-51 have already been engineered in vitro. One particular tissue that has been the target of much interest is the urinary epithelium.

In a recent study (Kinebuchi et al. Direct induction of layered tissues from mouse embryonic stem cells: potential for differentiation into urinary tract tissue. Cell Tissue Res. 2007 Dec 18) mouse embryonic stem cells were cultured under various conditions in order to try to generate urinary tract tissue.

The researchers plated embryonic bodies on collagen membranes and grew the cells in four different types of medium.

1. keratinocyte media that lacks serum and Medium 199

2. keratinocyte serum free media and medium collected from growing 3T3 fibroblasts, that is 3T3 conditioned media

3. the media used to grow the embryoid bodies
4. keratinocyte serum free media

When these tissues were implanted into mice only the tissues cultured under the first two conditions generated what resembled urinary tract tissue, specifically they had the characteristic 4 layer structure (a top layer of stratified epithelium, a layer underneath of submucosal loose connective tissue, underneath that a smooth muscle layer, and at the bottom, a layer of adventitia.