Human adipose tissue-derived multipotent stem cells differentiate in vitro and in vivo into osteocyte-like cells.

Cell-based therapies are used to treat bone defects. We recently described that human multipotent adipose-derived stem (hMADS) cells, which exhibit a normal karyotype, self renewal, and the maintenance of their differentiation properties, are able to differentiate into different lineages. Herein, we show that hMADS cells can differentiate into osteocyte-like cells. In the presence of a low amount of serum and EGF, hMADS cells express specific molecular markers, among which alkaline phosphatase, CBFA-1, osteocalcin, DMP1, PHEX, and podoplanin and develop functional gap-junctions. When loaded on a hardening injectable bone substitute (HIBS) biomaterial and injected subcutaneously into nude mice, hMADS cells develop mineralized woven bone 4 weeks after implantation. Thus hMADS cells represent a valuable tool for pharmacological and biological studies of osteoblast differentiation in vitro and bone development in vivo.

Macrophage characteristics of stem cells revealed by transcriptome profiling.

We previously showed that the phenotypes of adipocyte progenitors and macrophages were close. Using functional analyses and microarray technology, we first tested whether this intriguing relationship was specific to adipocyte progenitors or could be shared with other progenitors. Measurements of phagocytic activity and gene profiling analysis of different progenitor cells revealed that the latter hypothesis should be retained. These results encouraged us to pursue and to confirm our analysis with a gold-standard stem cell population, embryonic stem cells or ESC. The transcriptomic profiles of ESC and macrophages were clustered together, unlike differentiated ESC. In addition, undifferentiated ESC displayed higher phagocytic activity than other progenitors, and they could phagocytoze apoptotic bodies. These data suggest that progenitors and stem cells share some characteristics of macrophages. This opens new perspectives on understanding stem cell phenotype and functionalities such as a putative role of stem cells in tissue remodeling by discarding dead cells but also their immunomodulation or fusion properties.

Myodulin is a novel potential angiogenic factor in skeletal muscle.

We examined the expression and function of a gene we previously cloned from its downregulation in a muscle atrophy model. The encoded protein was named myodulin because of sequence homologies with the cartilage-specific chondromodulin-I (ChM-I) protein, its restricted expression in skeletal muscle tissue, and its modulating properties on vascular endothelial cells described here. We investigated the expression of myodulin in muscle fibers and cultured muscle cells. Myodulin RNA messengers were found in muscle fibers and their tendon extensions. Overexpression of myodulin fused to a FLAG peptide showed evidence of a muscle cell surface protein. Myodulin functions were assessed from similarities with chondromodulin-I. Coculture experiments using C(2)C(12) mouse myoblasts or myotubes, which stably overexpress myodulin, with H5V mouse cardiac vascular endothelial cells revealed that myodulin had a very active role in the invasive action of endothelial cells, without any evidence of extracellular myodulin secretion. Our results suggest that myodulin may be a muscle angiogenic factor operating through direct cell-to-cell interactions. This role is consistent with the correlation between modulations in myodulin expression and modifications in muscle microvascularization associated with activity-dependent muscle mass variations.