The potential for nonembryonic cells to promote differentiation of neuronal cells has therapeutic implications for regeneration of neurons damaged by stroke or injury and avoids many ethical and safety concerns. The authors have assessed the capacity of human umbilical tissue-derived cells (hUTC) and human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSC) to enhance differentiation of rodent hippocampal neurons. Co-culture of hippocampal cells with hUTC or hMSC in transwell inserts for 3 days resulted in increase of several dendritic parameters including the number and length of primary dendrites. The effect of hUTC or hMSC on dendritic maturation was only apparent on neurons grown for 2 weeks in vitro prior to co-culture. Changes in dendritic morphology in the presence of hUTC were also accompanied by increased expression of the presynaptic marker synaptotagmin and the postsynaptic marker postsynaptic density protein 95 kDa (PSD95) suggesting that there may also be an increase in the number of synapses formed in the presence of hUTC. The effect of hUTC and hMSC on hippocampal cells in co-culture was comparable to those induced by treatment with recombinant human brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) implying that a similar factor may be released from hUTC or hMSC. Analysis of hUTC-conditioned medium by ELISA demonstrated that BDNF was indeed secreted. An antibody that blocks the actions of BDNF partially inhibited the actions of hUTC on dendritic morphology suggesting that BDNF is at least one of the factors secreted from the cells to promote dendritic maturation. These results indicate that hUTC secrete biologically active BDNF, which can affect dendritic morphology.
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