Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (31): 6661-6666.doi: 10.12307/2025.693

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Effect of fibronectin on differentiation of human neural stem cells into oligodendrocyte precursor cells

Wang Zhaoyan, Wang Qian, Liu Weipeng,Yang Hui, Luan Zuo, Qu Suqing   

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Sixth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
  • Received:2024-06-21 Accepted:2024-08-21 Online:2025-11-08 Published:2025-02-20
  • Contact: Qu Suqing, MS, Chief physician, Department of Pediatrics, Sixth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
  • About author:Wang Zhaoyan, MS, Associate chief technician, Department of Pediatrics, Sixth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Oligodendrocyte precursor cells are seed cells for the treatment of white matter damage diseases. Establishing an efficient and stable in vitro differentiation method is an important prerequisite for clinical translational research. 
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of fibronectin on biological characteristics such as proliferation, migration, and differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells derived from human neural stem cells.
METHODS: Human neural stem cells cultured in suspension were digested into single cells using Accutase. The expression of specific markers Nestin, Sox2, Vimentin, CD133, and Musashi was detected by flow cytometry. The single cells of human neural stem cells were resuspended in oligodendrocyte precursor cell medium and seeded in six-well plates coated with different concentrations of fibronectin (0, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 μg/mL). Accutase digestion was performed after 7 days of culture. Cells were counted by trypan staining. Fibronectin-coated group with the strongest amplification ability and the oligodendrocyte precursor cells without fibronectin-coated group were selected for further tests. The migration ability of the two groups of cells was detected by Transwell. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of Olig2, Sox10, and PDGFR-α. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells were induced to differentiate into oligodendrocytes for 3 weeks, and the expression of Galc in differentiated cells was detected by immunofluorescence staining. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Human neural stem cells grew in suspension spheres. Flow cytometry showed that human neural stem cells highly expressed Nestin, Sox2, Vimentin, CD133, and Musashi. (2) The cell bodies of oligodendrocyte precursor cells induced by human neural stem cells were round or oval, with strong refractive nature and bipolar or tertiary protrusions. Compared with the 0 μg/mL fibronectin coating group, there was a significant difference in the amplification ability of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in the 2.5, 5, and 10 μg/mL fibronectin coating groups (P < 0.05). The amplification ability of oligodendrocyte precursor cells was the strongest when the fibronectin concentration was 10 μg/mL. (3) Flow cytometry results showed that the oligodendrocyte precursor cell markers Olig2, Sox10, and PDGFR-α were highly expressed in the 0 and 10 μg/mL fibronectin coating groups, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). (4) Transwell chamber assay results showed that compared with the 0 μg/mL fibronectin-coated group, the migration ability of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in the 10 μg/mL fibronectin-coated group was increased (P < 0.01). (5) After 3 weeks of differentiation into oligodendrocytes, oligodendrocyte precursor cells showed complex morphology with multiple branches, grids or membrane sheets. Immunofluorescence staining results showed that there was no statistical difference in the Galc positive rate of oligodendrocytes between the two groups (P > 0.05). These findings indicate that when the concentration of fibronectin coated well plate is 10 μg/mL, the proliferation and migration of oligodendrocyte precursor cells are the strongest, but it does not affect the expression of oligodendrocyte precursor cells-specific markers Olig2, Sox10, and PDGFR-α and their differentiation into oligodendrocytes. 

Key words: fibronectin, neural stem cell, oligodendrocyte precursor cell, oligodendrocyte, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, engineered stem cell, engineered cell

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