Isolation of neural crest-derived stem cells from rat embryonic mandibular processes

Background information. Substantial evidence indicates the existence of NCSCs (neural crest-derived stem cells) in embryonic mandibular processes; however, they have not been fully investigated or isolated. The aim of the present study was to isolate stem cells from mandibular process during embryonic development by MACS (magnetic-activated cell sorting). The findings show that the cells are multipotent and self-renewing. Results. LNGFR (low-affinity nerve-growth-factor receptor)+ cells were isolated from rat embryonic mandibular processes by MACS. The cells were grown in clonal culture by limiting dilution to assess their developmental potential. Clone analysis indicated that, first, LNGFR+ cells are multipotent, being able to generate at least neurons and Schwann cells, similar to peripheral neural crest stem cells. Secondly, multipotent LNGFR+ cells generate multipotent progenies, indicating that they are capable of self-renewal and therefore are stem cells. Thirdly, manipulation of the medium supplementation alters the fate of the isolated LNGFR+ cells. Conclusions. These results indicate that LNGFR antibodies label NCSCs with high specificity and purity, and suggest that positive selection using these antibodies may become the method of choice for obtaining multipotent cells from rat embryonic mandibular processes for tissue engineering or regenerative therapeutic use.