Comparative characteristics of endothelial-like cells derived from human adipose mesenchymal stem cells and umbilical cord blood-derived endothelial cells.

Adult peripheral blood contains a limited number of endothelial progenitor cells that can be isolated for treatment of ischemic diseases. The adipose tissue became an interesting source of stem cells for regenerative medicine. This study aimed to investigate the phenotype of cells obtained by culturing adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ad-MSCs) in the presence of endothelial growth supplements compared to endothelial cells obtained from umbilical cord blood (UCB). Passage 3 ad-MSCs and mononuclear layer from UCB were cultured in presence of endothelial growth media for 3 weeks followed by their characterization by flow cytometry and polymerase chain reaction. After culture in endothelial inductive media, ad-MSCs expressed endothelial genes and some endothelial marker proteins as CD31 and CD34, respectively. Adipose tissue could be a reliable source for easy obtaining, expanding and differentiating MSCs into endothelial-like cells for autologous cell-based therapy.