A synthetic 2,6-distributed purine, reversine, increases cell plasticity of adult stem cells

Stem cells are receiving great interest from the scientific community for their potential applications in the treatment of degenerative diseases. However, in recent years, a new approach has surfaced, which is the generation of stem-cell-like precursors by re-programming adult cells. This has been done genetically, by over-expression of several key factors, or chemically, by activating opportune signaling pathways by culturing cells in the presence of cocktails of different compounds. Along this line, a synthetic purine, reversine, has been shown to increase cell plasticity of differentiated cells, including murine myoblasts and human dermal fibroblasts (1, 2). In this study we found that reversine may also increase cell plasticity of adult stem cells. This would overcome current limitation of adult stem cells, that often differentiate into the desired cell types with yields that are too low to be practical for their use in regenerative medicine. Herein we show that reversine treatment improves the differentiation capability of dermal fibroblasts, mesoangioblasts, and mesenchymal stromal cells into smooth muscle, skeletal muscle and bone. [1] Anastasia L., Sampaolesi M, et al. Cell Death Differ. 2006, 12, 2042-51. [2] Fania, C, Anastasia L, et al. Electrophoresis. 2009 Jun;30(12):2193-206.