CoCl2 Administration to Vascular MSC Cultures as an In Vitro Hypoxic System to Study Stem Cell Survival and Angiogenesis.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess well-known reparative properties, among which the ability to form neovessels; in vivo, this characteristic is carried out both in a normal and in a pathological setting. Hypoxia, a condition common to many human diseases, is known to promote angiogenesis and to improve stem cell proliferation and differentiation. For this purpose, we provide an experimental protocol to test stem cell viability and angiogenesis under hypoxic conditions, comparing a vascular model of MSCs with stable cell lines. In order to avoid the use of expensive facilities, we propose the application of a chemical hypoxia inducer, cobalt chloride.