Motor Neuron-Like Cells from Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secrete Acetylcholine

Xueyuan Liu and colleagues from Liaoning Medical University found that the third passage of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells induced with heparin and basic fibroblast growth factor exhibited neuronal morphology, and Hb9 expression and acetylcholine levels increased following induction with heparin combined with basic fibroblast growth factor. These findings, published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 22, 2013), indicate that heparin combined with basic fibroblast growth factor can noticeably promote the differentiation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into motor neuron-like cells. This technology is expected to prevent and treat muscular atrophy caused by peripheral nerve injury.