Research Information System
Stem Cell Reviews And Reports, vol.1, pp.1-13, 2019 (Scopus)
Stem cell transplantation is one of the available treatments for leukemia, lymphoma, hereditary blood diseases and bone marrow
failure. Bone marrow (BM), peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC), and cord blood (CB) are the predominant sources of stem
cells. Recently a new type of stem cell with a pluripotent potential has been identified. These cells were named Bvery small
embryonic like stem cells (VSELs)^. It is claimed that VSEL stem cells can be found in adult BM, peripheral blood (PB), CB and
other body tissues. This study is designed to characterize and isolate VSEL stem cells from different human hematopoietic
sources; CB, PB and apheresis material (PBPC). VSEL stem cells were isolated from MNC and erythrocyte layers for all
materials by using centrifugation and ficoll gradient method. We determined embryonic markers by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and western blotting methods. Results from western blotting and immunofluorescence show high level of NANOG
and OCT4 protein expression in PB, apheresis material and CB. Immunofluorescence images showed cytoplasmic and nuclear
presence of these proteins. Flow cytometry results exhibited a higher expression of VSELs markers on debris area than CD45-
population and higher expression on CB than PB. As a result, these findings have shown that it is necessary to investigate the
function of pluripotent stem cell markers in differentiated adult cells. We further conclude that erythrocyte lysis method had the
highest cell recovery amount among erythrocyte lysis and ficoll gradient methods. Consequently, this study gives us new
information and viewpoints about expression of pluripotent stem cell (PSC) markers in adult tissues.