Human CD34+ Cell Differentiation toward the Endothelial Lineage in the Zebrafish Embryo

摘要: Background. The zebrafish embryo provides a number of advantages for in vivo studies of vertebrate angiogenesis, including the possibility to observe in real-time the development of the embryonic vasculature. Furthermore, cell transplantation into the zebrafish embryo is an interesting model system for the study of stem cells differentiation. Objective. The objective of the present work is to determine whether human CD34+ progenitor (hCD34+) cells differentiate toward the endothelial lineage and contribute to new blood vessels development after transplantation into the zebrafish embryo. Methods and Results. hCD34+ cells were isolated from cord blood, labelled and injected into the zebrafish blastula (400 cells). Human CD14− cells were used as controls. Flow cytometry analysis of injected embryos dissociated 24- and 44-hours after transplantation showed endothelial differentiation of hCD34+ cells, as …