Isolation, characterization and osteogenic potential of mouse digit tip blastema cells in comparison with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro

ABSTRACT

Objective: limb regeneration mediated by blastema cells [BlCs] in mammals is limited to the digit tips of neonates. Due to the lack of access to BlCs in adults and the difficulty in isolating and expanding BlCs from neonates, the use of a cellular population with similar features of BlCs would be a valuable strategy to direct a non-regenerative wound towards regeneration. In this study, we have initially isolated and cultured BlCs, and explored their characteristics in vitro. Next, we compared the capability of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells [BM-MSCs] as an alternative accessible cell source to BlCs for regeneration of appendages