New experimental model for basic research in stem cell field

The great interest in these findings is due to the promising possibility to use MSC in tissue engineering and gene therapy thanksto their plasticity and availability. Recently a subpopulation of luteinized granulosa cells (GC) derived from infertile patients during their IVF procedures showed mesenchymal stem characteristics and multipotency.I n our recent study a heterogeneous cell population were isolated from human ovarian follicular fluid (FF cells) and cultivated in minimal medium conditions without any growth factors, including leukemia-inhibiting factor. FF cells showed a different morphology, such as fibroblastic, epithelial and also neuronal shape. In particular, the cells with characteristics similar to fibroblasts expressed many specific antigens of mesenchymal stem cells (i.e. CD90, CD44, CD105, CD73) and were negative for haematopoietic and epithelial markers (CD34, CD45, cytokeratins). We confirmed the multipotency of a subset of granulosa cells by in vitro differentiation studies (e.g. osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation).Therefore we propose follicular fluid cells as a cheap biological experimental model for basic research in stem cells fields thanks to their clonogenic capacity, multipotency and availability without any growth factor addiction too.FF cells could be a good model not only to study biocompatibility of engineering scaffold, but also to investigate the effect induced by mechanical conditioning.