COMPOSITION AND METHOD FOR GENERATING A DESIRED CELL TYPE AND/OR TISSUE TYPE FROM HAIR FOLLICULAR STEM CELLS

Abstract

A composition and in vitro method for generating a desired cell type and/or tissue type from hair follicular stem cells. The composition and in vitro method are particularly suitable for generating an autologous desired cell type and/or tissue type. Furthermore, the composition and method are especially efficient and suitable for use in the context of cosmetic cell and/or tissue transplantation in recipient areas of a subject experiencing cell and/or tissue loss caused by, for example, a wound, scar, burn injury, tissue degeneration, and aging. The composition and in vitro method are also suitable to circumvent complications related to infections and/or immune rejection of a cosmetic cell and/or tissue implant or graft.

Claims

1. A method for differentiating at least one hair follicular stem cell specifically into nerve cells, said method comprising the steps of: contacting at least one hair follicular stem cell with a composition comprising at least one physiologically acceptable vanadium compound, at least one anti-oxidant compound, at least one stem cell enhancer compound, at least one extracellular matrix compound, and at least one differentiation inducing factor, to thereby obtain nerve cells.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the physiologically acceptable vanadium compound is selected from the group consisting of bis (maltolato) oxovanadium, oxovanadium, and orthovanadium.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises one or more anti-apoptotic compounds selected from the group of a triiodothyronine, estradiol, progesterone, tissue extract, insulin, transferrin, selenium, L-cysteine, adenosine triphosphatemagnesium chloride, and L-leucine.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the anti-oxidant compound is selected from the group of quercetin, monohydroxyethyl rutoside, vitamin C, lipoic acid, deferoxamine mesylate, and vitamin E.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the stem cell enhancer compound is selected from the group of: erythropoietin, CD34-positive cell, and retinoic acid.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the stem cell enhancer compound is selected from the group of erythropoietin and CD34-positive cell.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the stem cell enhancer compound is erythropoietin.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises at least one degranulating agent.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the degranulating agent is Compound 48/80.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extracellular matrix compound is selected from the group of: platelet rich plasma, laminin, collagen IV, heparan sulfate, entactin, and chondroitin sulfate.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the extracellular matrix compound is platelet rich plasma.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the differentiation inducing factor is selected from basic fibroblast growth factor, insulin-growth factor, and nerve growth factor, and wherein the method obtains neural cells and/or neural tissue.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the differentiation inducing factor is epithelial growth factor.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one hair follicular stem cell is obtained from at least a part of a hair follicle in the anagen phase.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the at least a part of a hair follicle in the anagen phase has been obtained by plucking a hair from a donor area of a subject.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein the at least a part of a hair follicle is contacted with a medium comprising collagenase IV.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one hair follicular stem cell is a human hair follicular stem cell.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nerve cells are introduced in a recipient region in a subject, and wherein the at least one hair follicular stem cell is derived from said subject, and wherein the composition comprises at least one CD34-positive cell derived from said subject and/or platelet rich plasma derived from said subject.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nerve cells are used for regenerative medicine.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nerve cells are used for cosmetic purpose.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE RELATED TO THE INVENTION

[0116] FIG. 1 displays the effect of the physiologically acceptable vanadium compounds oxovanadium (OVAN) and bis(maltolato) oxovanadium (BMOV) on proliferation of keratinocytes. Proliferation of keratinocytes is expressed as the number of cells counted per amount of the culture milieu (i.e. number of cells10E4/ml). The results reveal an enhanced proliferation of keratinocytes following treatment with a composition comprising a basic medium growth serum (SFK) supplemented with 1 mg/ml of OVAN or 1 mg/ml of BMOV relative to the control situation (i.e. basic growth medium (SFK) lacking a vanadium compound). Note that treatment with BMOV is associated with a greater number of proliferated cells relative to treatment with OVAN.

EXAMPLES

Example 1. Collection of Hair Follicular Stem Cells

[0117] Hair follicular stem cells were obtained from plucked hairs in the anagen phase, which were obtained from a donor subject, using a plucking instrument such as a hollow harvesting needle. Plucked hairs were inspected under a microscope. Plucked hairs not displaying the characteristics of a hair in the anagen phase were discarded.

Example 2. Pre-Treatment of Hair Follicular Stem Cells

[0118] Plucked hairs in the anagen phase were immersed in 1% collagenase type IV for 2 hours at 37 C. in order to enzymatically dissociate the hair follicular stem cells from the hair follicle. Hair follicular stem cells were then rinsed several times, and resuspended in culture medium.

Example 3. Collection and Culture of CD34-Positive Cells

[0119] CD34-positive cells act as circulating fibrocytes and their function is dependent on the environment. For instance, in wound healing CD34-positive cells concentrate around the damaged tissue. In the context of tissue generation, CD34-positive cells act as a stem cell enhancer. Specifically, when hair follicular stem cells are cultured together with CD34-positive cells, hair follicular stem cells are able to proliferate without supplement.

[0120] CD34-positive cells were obtained from the peripheral circulation of a donor subject. CD34-positive cells were isolated from the blood using a MACS cell separation kit (Miltenyl Biotec). Isolated CD34-positive cells were then rinsed several time, resuspended in the culture medium (RPMI 1640, GIBCO, Invitrogen) containing autologous serum, and cultured in the same medium for a period of 8 weeks.

Example 4. Preparation of Culture Medium

[0121] The culture medium consisted of a sterile Serum Free Growth Medium (Defined Serum Free (Keratinocyte) Growth Medium, purchased from Gibco, USA) which was freshly prepared on the day of the experiment, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Example 5. Preparation of the Composition for Generating a Desired Cell Type and/or Tissue Type

[0122] The composition for generating a desired cell type and/or tissue was freshly prepared by adding the following ingredients to the Serum Free Growth Medium described in example 4: [0123] 1 mg/ml of bis(maltolato)oxovanadium (BMOV) [0124] 0.25 mg/ml of mono Hydroxy-Ethyl Rutoside (mono-HER) [0125] 0.25 mg/ml of D-tocopherol acid succinate/a-tocopherol (vitamin E) [0126] 0.1 mg/ml of lipoic acid [0127] 0.1 mol/ml of adenosine triphosphate-magnesium chloride [0128] 15 mg/ml of deferoxamine mesylate [0129] 110.sup.3 cells/ml of CD34-positive cells [0130] 0.05 ml/ml of platelet rich plasma [0131] 1 unit/ml of Erythropoietin [0132] Cell type and/or tissue-type specific differentiation inducing factor: depending on the desired cell type and/or tissue type, a specific additive is added. For instance, to generate neural cell and/or tissue, a basic-fibroblast growth factor is added (see example 6). To generate keratinocyte cell and/or tissue, an epithelial growth factor is added (see example 7). To generate neural cell and/or tissue, a neural growth factor is added (see example 8).

Example 6. Generation of Keratinocyte Cell and/or Tissue

[0133] Hair follicular stem cells were enzymatically dissociated from the hair follicular tissue obtained from 10 plucked hairs from a donor subject using collagenase IV (Example 2). Hair follicular stem cells were cultured and expanded for 3 weeks in a three-dimensional culture system in the sterile Serum Free Growth Medium of Example 4. Subsequently, the population of hair follicular stem cells was cultured in the composition of Example 5 comprising epidermal growth factor (100 ng/ml) as the growth factor for a duration of 6 weeks. During this period, the composition comprising the epidermal growth factor was refreshed daily. At the term of the culture period, the keratinocyte cells were harvested and submitted to immunohistological procedures using antibodies directed against keratinocyte markers, i.e. cytokeratins. Cytokeratins 1, 10 and 11 are commonly used markers of differentiating keratinocytes and are exclusively found in the intermediate cells and in the granular cells at the infundibulum in the outer root sheath (ORS) of the human anagen hair follicles. Cytokeratins 19 is a marker of undifferentiated stem cells, and is found in outermost cells of the ORS at the isthmus and in some cells of the lower ORS. Cytokeratins 1, 10, 11, and 19 are used as a reliable keratinocyte markers.

[0134] The results show that the newly produced keratinocyte cells and/or tissues were positive for cytokeratins 1, 10, 11, and 19 thus demonstrating that keratinocyte cells and/or tissues can be generated from hair follicular stem cells using the method and composition of the present invention.

Example 7. Generation of Nerve Cell and/or Tissue

[0135] Hair follicular stem cells were enzymatically dissociated from the hair follicular tissue obtained from 10 plucked hairs from a donor subject using collagenase IV (Example 2). Hair follicular stem cells were cultured and expanded for 3 weeks in a three-dimensional culture system in the sterile Serum Free Growth Medium of Example 4. Subsequently, the population of hair follicular stem cells was cultured in the composition set forth in Example 5 comprising nerve growth factor (100 ng/ml) as the growth factor for a duration of 6 weeks. During this period, the composition comprising the nerve growth factor was refreshed daily. At the term of the three weeks, nerve cells were harvested. At the term of the culture period, the nerve cells and/or tissues were harvested and submitted to immunohistological procedures using antibodies directed against neural markers, i.e. nestin. Another indication of a neural fate is the absence of the marker keratin 15. Therefore, cells and/or tissues positive for nestin but negative for keratin 15 were reliably identified as neural cells and/or tissues.

[0136] The results show that the newly produced nerve cells and/or tissues were positive for nestin and negative for keratin 15, thus demonstrating that nerve cells and/or tissues can be generated from hair follicular stem cells using the method and composition of the present invention.

Example 8: Effect of Vanadium Compounds on Proliferation of Keratinocytes

[0137] Method: Hair follicles were transferred to a 24-well culture disk containing dSFK with 500 mg/ml penicillin (Life Technologies B.V. Breda, The Netherlands) and 0.25 g/ml streptomycin (Life Technologies B.V. Breda, The Netherlands), and placed for 14 days in a culture medium at 31 C. in a humidified atmosphere containing 5% CO2. Three different culture medium were used: [0138] Treatment group oxovanadium (OVAN): The culture medium is a composition comprising a basic SFK growth serum (purchased from the supplier SFK, Enschede The Netherlands) supplemented with either 1 mg/ml of OVAN. [0139] Treatment group bis (maltolato) oxovanadium (BMOV): The culture medium is a composition comprising a basic SFK growth serum (purchased from the supplier SFK, Enschede The Netherlands) supplemented with either 1 mg/ml of BMOV. [0140] Control group: The control situation consists of a composition comprising the SFK basic growth serum but without the vanadium compounds (i.e. OVAN or BMOV).

[0141] The respective culture media were carefully removed every three days and replaced by fresh culture media. The cells remained attached to the hair follicles during this culture period. After 14 days the culture medium was removed and replaced by a 0.5 mg/ml trypsin, 0.2 mg/ml EDTA (ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid) solution (Life Technologies B.V. Breda, The Netherlands), and incubated for 5 minutes at 37 C. in this medium. After this incubation period clusters of cells were released from the hair follicles. These were harvested by centrifugation at 300 g at 4 C. for 5 minutes in an Eppendorf 5804R Centrifuge (VWR International, The Netherlands). Number of cells were counted and expressed as amount of proliferated cells per ml of culture medium.

[0142] Results: The results show that the amount of proliferated keratinocytes was significantly increased following treatment with both vanadium compounds, i.e. OVAN and BMOV relative to the control situation. The results further show that BMOV appears to be more potent than OVAN. Overall, these results show that vanadium compounds are particularly effective at promoting cell proliferation as well as cell survival under culture condition (see FIG. 1).