Melanocyte Differentiation From Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived From Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

The pigment melanin is produced by melanocytes, is primarily responsible for skin color, and protects it against ultraviolet rays that can cause the destruction of genetic material within the keratinocytes. To elucidate the mechanisms of many diseases associated with melanocytes, such asmelanoma and albinism, or burns with uneven pigment distribution, the disease model needs to be established first. In this study, we aimed to construct the melanocyte model from patients in a short period. Sandai virus vector containing 4 stemness genes (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc) was transfected into human adipose-derived stemcells to produce induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Immunofluorescence stainingwas used to confirmthe expression of specific proteins for iPSCs, including Tra-1-60, Tra-1-81, Oct-4, Sox-2, and Nango. polymerase chain reaction results also showed that specific genes of iPSCs with the ability to cause the differentiation of cells into the 3 germ layers were expressed. In our in vivo experiments, iPSCs were subcutaneously injected into nude mice to induce teratoma formation for 2 months. The morphology of the 3 germ layers was confirmed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Furthermore, melanocyteswere purified by serial inductionmedium, and their presencewas confirmed by flow cytometry and the expression of different markers for melanocytes.