Human multipotent embryonic stem cell-like progenitor cells

Abstract

The invention provides a plurality of embryonic stem cell-like progenitor cells, which are isolated from a human tissue by a systemic screening of human mesenchymal stromal stem/progenitor cells and a cell sorting by a cell antigen selected from the group consisting of CD34, CD117, CD133, CD201, GloboH and combination thereof, and cultured in a medium supplemented with at least one or more steroids and one or more growth factors. The cells of the invention express CD34 and exhibit sphere-like clonogenicity in early passages and express multipotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) like characteristics.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing an enriched population of multipotent human CD34 +  mesenchymal common progenitor cells (CD34 +  MCPCs), further having at least the following characteristics: CD14 + , CD117 + , CD133 +  (AC133 + ), CD201 + , Nestin + , SSEA3 + , SSEA4 +  and GloboH + , the method comprising:
 isolating from a human somatic tissue by a systemic screening of human mesenchymal stromal stem/progenitor cells followed by a cell sorting by a cell antigen of CD34, wherein the human somatic tissue is selected from the group consisting of chorion, umbilical cord, bone marrow, and adipose; and 
 culturing in a medium comprising EGF and hydrocortisone or a medium comprising bFGF and EGF. 
 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cell sorting is a fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) flow cytometry.