Isolation of Multipotent Nestin-Expressing Stem Cells Derived from the Epidermis of Elderly Humans and TAT-VHL Peptide-Mediated Neuronal Differentiation of These Cells

The study isolated multipotent nestin-expressing stem cells from the epidermis of 16 elderly humans, aged 55 to 86, and demonstrated their potential for neuronal differentiation using the TAT-VHL peptide. These stem cells, located in the outer root sheath of hair follicles, expressed high levels of nestin, fibronectin, and CD34. The TAT-VHL peptide significantly enhanced neuronal differentiation, with treated cells showing higher survival rates and expression of neuronal markers compared to controls. The research suggested that these accessible stem cells could be valuable for neuronal regenerative therapies, particularly for treating intractable neuronal diseases in the elderly, due to their non-tumorigenic nature and ability to differentiate into neurons both in vitro and in vivo.