Open AccessViable, Proliferating Progenitor Cells
Author(s) -
Oiticica Jeanne,
Batissoco Ana Carla,
Lezirovitz Karina,
Barboza Luiz Carlos M.,
Haddad Luciana Amaral,
MingroniNetto Regina Célia,
Bento Ricardo F.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
otolaryngology–head and neck surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.232
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1097-6817
pISSN - 0194-5998
DOI - 10.1177/0194599811415823a320
Subject(s) - organ of corti , progenitor cell , biology , cochlea , microbiology and biotechnology , basic fibroblast growth factor , stem cell , cell sorting , guinea pig , hair cell , immunology , growth factor , flow cytometry , anatomy , endocrinology , biochemistry , receptor
Objective Compare conditions and outcomes of otosphere suspension cultures from dissociated organ of Corti of either mouse or guinea pig at postnatal day 3 (P3), and to evaluate the guinea pig as a potential cochlea donor for preclinical cell therapy. Method Organs of Corti were isolated from P3 guinea pig or mouse cochlea, dissociated, and cultivated under nonadherent conditions as cell clusters (otospheres), in DMEM:F12 medium, supplemented with epidermal growth factor (EGF), plus either basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) or transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα), and submitted to immunofluorescence assays. Results Otospheres from mouse and guinea pig organ of Corti cultivated in vitro retained properties of inner ear progenitor cells, such as self‐renewal, proliferation, and differentiation into hair cells or supporting cells. The best culture outcome was observed when mouse‐derived cells were cultivated in the presence of TGFα instead of bFGF. Otosphere cell sorting will be additionally tested by flow cytometry of dissociated mouse cells. These ongoing experiments will be useful for the phenotype characterization of the progenitor cells presenting the best proliferating index. Conclusion The expression of sox2 and nestin in guinea pig and mouse otosphere is supporting evidence for the presence of inner ear progenitor cells in P3 guinea pig. However, the proliferation and differentiation potential of mouse‐derived cells place this organism as a better model for studying early postnatal progenitor cell dynamics.