Urine-Derived Stem Cells: Biological Characterization and Potential Clinical Applications

Abstract

A subpopulation of urine-derived cells, termed urine-derived stem cells (USCs), possess stem cell capabilities, such as self-renewal and multipotential differentiation. These cells can differentiate into mesodermal cell lineages, such as osteocytes, chondrocytes, adipocytes, endothelial cells, and myocytes, including smooth muscle cell differentiation and endodermal lineages (e.g., urothelial cells). These cells maintain high telomerase activity and possess long telomeres; further, they retain a normal karyotype in vitro even after several passages. Importantly, these cells do not form teratomas in vivo. USCs express cell surface markers associated with pericytes and mesenchymal stem cells. These cells can be isolated from regular voided urine from each individual via a noninvasive, simple, and low-cost approach. The USCs isolated from one single urine specimen can generate up to 100 million cells at early passage, suffi cient numbers to use for cell-based therapy for tissue repair.