Mohammad Hossein Tahmasbi - ۱Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Taghi Joghataei - ۱Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
Masoud Soleimani - Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Seyed Akbar Moosavi - Department of Allied Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
Seyed Amir Yazdanparast - ۱Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
Farah Zaker - ۱Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran

New blood forming vessels are produced by differentiation of mesodermal precursor cells to angioblasts that become endothelial cells (ECs) which in turn give rise to primitive capillary network. Human cord blood (HCB) contains large subsets of mononuclear cells (MNCs) that can be differentiated into endothelial-like cells in vitro. Human mononuclear progenitor cells were purified from fresh umbilical cord blood by the expression of CD۳۴ and FLK-۱ antigens expressed in both angioblasts and hematopoetic stem cells. The HCB derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be differentiated into adipocyte, osteocyte, chondrocyte and ECs. In this study, the differentiation of human cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (hCBMSCs) into endothelial-like cells was induced in the presence of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-۱). The differentiated ECs were then examined for their ability to express VEGF receptor-۲ (VEGFR۲) and von Willebrand factor (vWF). These cells were adopted to grow, proliferate and develop into a capillary network in a semisolid gel matrix in vitro. The capillary network formation in each well of ۲۴-well plate was found to be ۸۰% in presence of VEGF (۴۰ ng/ml) and IGF-۱ (۲۰ ng/ml) of culture media, suggesting that the capillary network formation is associated with endothelial-like cells derived from hCBMSCs by expression of their markers.

Human umbilical cord blood (HUCB), Mesenchaymal stem cell (MSC), Angiogenesis, Differentiation, IGF-۱