Although adrenal medullary chromaffin cells have been used extensively for intracerebral grafting, their survival has generally been poor. Improved survival of the implanted cells has been achieved by exposing the chromaffin cells to NGF in vivo. Culture studies have shown, however, that chromaffin cells are converted into sympathetic neurons when NGF is included in the medium. The degree to wh...

PURPOSE The role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in TGF-beta-induced myofibroblast transdifferentiation of human tenon fibroblasts (HTFs) was investigated to identify potential pharmacologic targets for the inhibition of scarring after glaucoma surgery. METHODS TGF-beta-dependent activation of Smad2, p38, and Erk-1/2 was examined by Western blot analysis. TGF-beta-induced ...

We have characterised the transdifferentiation of human HepG2 (hepatoma) cells to pancreatic cells following introduction of an activated version of the pancreatic transcription factor Pdx1 (XlHbox8-VP16). The following questions are addressed: (1) are all types of pancreatic cells produced? (2) is the requirement for expression of the transgene temporary or permanent? (3) are the transdifferen...

Stem cell transdifferentiation in the adult organism is the most common and questioned mechanism of growth and repair. Recent data suggest that adult stem cells are capable of generating mature cells beyond their own tissue boundaries, a process called developmental plasticity. To date, the most versatile cell discovered is the bone marrow progenitor cell.

Homozygotes of the quail silver mutation, which have plumage color changes, also display a unique phenotype in the eye: during early embryonic development, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) spontaneously transdifferentiates into neural retinal tissue. Mitf is considered to be the responsible gene and to function similarly to the mouse microphthalmia mutation, and tissue interaction between R...

Fibroblast activation and proliferation are important for fibroblast-myofibroblast transdifferentiation, a crucial process in the pathological changes that define renal interstitial fibrosis. The left-right determination factor (Lefty) is an important cytokine of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β family, with two variants, Lefty-1 and Lefty-2, in mice. Lefty has diverse functions, such as ...

UNLABELLED Enforced cell transdifferentiation of human cancer cells is a promising alternative to conventional chemotherapy. We previously identified albumin-associated lipid- and, more specifically, saturated fatty acid-induced transdifferentiation programs in human cancer cells (HCCLs). In this study, we further characterized the adipocyte-like cells, resulting from the transdifferentiation o...

Tubulointerstitial disease, a prominent phenomenon in diabetic nephropathy, correlates with decline in renal function. The underlying pathogenic link between chronic hyperglycemia and the development of tubulointerstitial injury has not been fully elucidated, but myofibroblast formation represents a key step in the development of tubulointerstitial fibrosis. RAGE, the receptor for advanced glyc...

In the present study we report that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, FGF-2) promotes the transdifferentiation of Xenopus laevis larval retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) into neural retina. Using specific antibodies we have examined the cellular composition of the regenerated retinal tissue. Our results show that, in addition to retinal neurons and photoreceptors, glial cells were also regen...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the transdifferentiation relationship between eight types of liver cell during rat liver regeneration (LR). MATERIALS AND METHODS 114 healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used in this experimental study. Eight types of liver cell were isolated and purified with percoll density gradient centrifugation and immunomagentic bead methods. Marker genes for eight types of ce...