Unveiling distinctions between mesenchymal stromal cells and stem cells by single-cell transcriptomic analysis

作者：Kaijing Yan, Fei Ma, Xiaoxi Song, Huizhen Wang, Pengchong Liu, Jinlai Zhang, Xin Jin, Pengfei Han, Xiao Zuo, Y. James Kang · 发表于：Heliyon · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42311 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Mesenchymal stem cell research、Cancer Cells and Metastasis、Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and stem cells are distinct types of cells, but they are practically undistinguishable by currently commonly-used identification markers. A single-cell transcriptomic analysis was used to solve this problem. There are eight critical genes involved in self-renewal and differentiation, SOX2, NANOG, POU5F1, SFRP2, DPPA4, SALL4, ZFP42 and MYCN expressed in ESCs, iPSCs and adult stem cells (ASCs), but not in MSCs. There are five functional genes of MSCs, TMEM119 , FBLN5 , KCNK2 , CLDN11 and DKK1 , which are not expressed in stem cells. Trajectory analysis displayed clear developmental cliffs from ESCs/iPSCs to ASCs and to MSCs. Adipose-derived MSCs, relative to other types of MSCs, exhibit a more consistent and broader spectrum of gene expression for regulatory and excrete function. This study identifies distinction markers between MSCs and stem cells, providing an alternative approach for quality control of MSCs in their propagation and further mechanistic insights into their action.