The DMSCs (dermal mesenchymal stem cells) are multipotent stem cells, which can differentiate in vitro into many cell types. Much work has been done on DMSCs from humans, mice, rabbits and other mammals, but the related literature has not been published about these cells in cattle. In this study, we isolated and established the DMSC lines from cattle, thereby initiating further research on these cells, such as growth kinetics, detection of special surface antigen and RT–PCR (reverse transcription–PCR) assays to identify the biological characterization of the cell line. Furthermore, the DMSCs are induced to differentiate into adipocytes, osteoblasts and neural cells in vitro. Our results suggest that DMSCs isolated from cattle possess similar biological characteristics with those from other species. Their multi-lineage differentiation capabilities herald a probable application model in tissue engineering and induced pluripotent stem cells.
Role and Function of Matrix Metalloproteinases in the Differentiation and Biological Characterization of Mesenchymal Stem Cells