Isolation and Identification of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Forest Musk Deer

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The forest musk deer is a wild animal that is endangered due to widespread hunting for its musk, which is used in medicine and perfume. Stem cells can differentiate into a variety of cells, tissues, organs, and even complete individuals, which can be used for cell therapy and germplasm preservation. Mesenchymal stem cells are the most abundant stem cells in animals and have been isolated from many animals, such as cows and dogs. In this study, to evaluate the feasibility of isolating mesenchymal stem cells from forest musk deer, bone marrow was collected from forest musk deer, and the cells were isolated and characterized. They exhibit the same stemness and differentiation capacity as other mammals studied previously. Therefore, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells may be an important tool for forest musk deer cell therapy. ABSTRACT: The forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) is an endangered animal that produces musk that is utilized for medical applications worldwide, and this species primarily lives in China. Animal-derived musk can be employed as an important ingredient in Chinese medicine. To investigate the properties of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from the bone marrow of forest deer for future application, MSCs were isolated and cultivated in vitro. The properties and differentiation of these cells were assessed at the cellular and gene levels. The results show that 81,533 expressed genes were detected by RNA sequencing, and marker genes of MSCs were expressed in the cells. Karyotype analysis of the cells determined the karyotype to be normal, and marker proteins of MSCs were observed to be expressed in the cell membranes. Cells were differentiated into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondroblasts. The expression of genes related to osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondroblasts was observed to be increased. The results of this study demonstrate that the properties of the cells isolated from bone marrow were in keeping with the characteristics of MSCs, providing a possible basis for future research.