Versatile Stem Cells Found in Urine

Stem cells, it seems, are everywhere. Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine have not only identified stem cells in urine but, for the first time, have directed them to become multiple cell types. They have found that urine-derived cells have the potential to form bone, cartilage, fat, skeletal muscle, nerve and endothelial cells.

The researchers obtained urine samples from 17 healthy individuals ranging in age from 5 to 75 years and evaluated the cells’ ability to become multiple cell types. They found that the cells differentiated into the three tissue layers (endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm) and into specific cell types.

The researchers then placed the cells that had differentiated into smooth muscle and urothelial cells onto scaffolds made of pig intestine. When implanted in mice for one month, the cells formed multi-layer, tissue-like structures.

“These stem cells represent virtually a limitless supply of autologous cells for treating not only urology-related conditions such as kidney disease and urinary incontinence, but they could be used in other fields as well, ” said Yuanyuan Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., one of the researchers.

They published their findings in the journal Stem Cells.

The urine-derived stem cells have markers of mesenchymal cells, which are adult stem cells from connective tissue such as bone marrow and markers for pericytes, a subset of mesenchymal cells found in small blood vessels.

Zhang noted that with this scientific breakthrough, the harvesting of stem cells for therapy may one day be as simple as asking patients for a urine sample.