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.

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.

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.

Abstract: A method of harvesting mesenchymal stem cells from human amniotic fluid uses a two-stage culture protocol comprising culturing human amniocytes and then culturing mesenchymal stem cells. For culturing human amniocytes, primary amniocyte cultures are set up using routine or standard culture protocol in a cytogenetic laboratory. Non-adherent human amniotic fluids cells in the supernatant medium are collected. For culturing mesenchymal stem cells (“MSC”), the non-adherent cells are centrifuged and then plated with an alpha-modified Minimum Essential Medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum. Incubate with humidified CO2 for MSC growth. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (“RT-PCR”) and immunocytochemical analyses reveal that Oct-4 mRNA and OCT-4 protein expression is detectable in the cultured amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells (“AFMSCs”). Under differentiation culture conditions, the AFMSCs can be induced to develop into multi-lineage cells, such as adipocytes, osteocytes, neuronal cells, etc.

Abstract: A method of isolating mesenchymal stem cells from amniotic fluid using a two-stage culture protocol comprising culturing amniocytes and culturing mesenchymal stem cells. For culturing amniocytes, primary cultures are set up using routine or standard culture protocol in a cytogenetic laboratory. Non-adhering amniotic fluids cells in the supernatant medium are collected. For culturing mesenchymal stem cells, centrifuge the non-adhering cells and plate them with an alpha-modified Minimum Essential Medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum. Incubate with humidified CO2 for MSC growth. RT-PCR and immunocytochemical analyses reveal that Oct-4 mRNA and Oct-4 protein expressions are detectable in the cultured AFMSCs. Under differentiation culture conditions, the AFMSCs can be induced into multi-lineage cells, such as adipocytes, osteocytes, neuronal cells, etc.