Identification and characterization of adult stem/progenitor cells in the human bladder (bladder spheroids): perspectives of application in pediatric surgery.

There is evidence that tissue-specific stem cells reside in certain adult tissues. Their specific properties remain elusive, because they are rare in parent tissues and heterogeneous; furthermore, technical difficulties have been encountered in their identification and the characterization of their progeny. The aim of this study was to isolate stem/progenitor cells from the human bladder. We have devised a method for isolating stem/progenitor cells from the human bladder. This is based on the enzymatic digestion of fresh surgical bladder specimens, followed by culture of cells in the presence of EGF and bFGF. We also used markers that identified and finally characterized these cells. Spheroids with self-replicative potential were obtained from all bladder specimens. The isolated population contained a subset of CD34+ CD45- cells. These spheroids represent a predominant functional type of stem/progenitor cells within the human bladder. This envisage their potential use for the treatment of animal models in pediatric surgery.