Neural differentiation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells by sub-sonic vibration

Aims: Adult stem cells, such as umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs), have the potential to differentiate into various types of cells, including neurons. Research has shown that mechanical stimulation induces a response in MSCs, specifically, low and high intensity sub-sonic vibration (SSV) has been shown to facilitate wound healing. In this study, the effects of SSV were examined by assessing the proliferation and differentiation properties of MSCs. Main methods: hUC-MSCs were isolated from Wharton's jelly, including the smooth muscle layer of the umbilical cord. During subculture, the cells were passaged every 5-6 days using nonhematopoietic stem cell media. To measure the effect of sonic vibration, SSV was applied to these cells continuously for 5 days. Key findings: In this study, the morphology of hUC-MSCs was altered to resemble neurons by SSV. Further, the mRNA and protein levels of neuron-specific markers, including MAP2, NF-L, and NeuroD1, increased. In addition, other neural cell markers, such as GFAP and O4, were increased. These results suggest that hUC-MSCs differentiated into neural cells upon SSV nonselectively. In a mechanism study, the ERK level increased in a time-dependent manner upon SSV for 12 h. Significance: The results of this study suggest that SSV caused hUC-MSCs to differentiate into neural cells via ERK activation.