Martin K, Gullo F. Isolation and characterization of CD73+CD39+CD146+ mesenchymal stem cell subset from bone marrow. World J Stem Cells 2025; 17(12): 110894 [DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i12.110894]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Kathryn Martin, Researcher, Research & Development, Gift of Life Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, 5901 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Boca Raton, FL 33487, United States. kattmart80@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Cell Biology
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Basic Study
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Dec 26, 2025 (publication date) through Dec 31, 2025
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Publication Name
World Journal of Stem Cells
ISSN
1948-0210
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Martin K, Gullo F. Isolation and characterization of CD73+CD39+CD146+ mesenchymal stem cell subset from bone marrow. World J Stem Cells 2025; 17(12): 110894 [DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i12.110894]
World J Stem Cells. Dec 26, 2025; 17(12): 110894 Published online Dec 26, 2025. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i12.110894
Isolation and characterization of CD73+CD39+CD146+ mesenchymal stem cell subset from bone marrow
Kathryn Martin, Francesca Gullo
Kathryn Martin, Francesca Gullo, Research & Development, Gift of Life Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Boca Raton, FL 33487, United States
Author contributions: Martin K performed the research; Gullo F designed the research study.
Institutional review board statement: The project did not involve research involving human or animal in any form. All fresh materials were donated with institutional review board consent. All purchased materials were approved and verified by the vendor. All vendors have undergone institutional approval. The presented research was approved by all parties necessary through Gift of Life Marrow Registry and Gift of Life Center for Cell and Gene Therapy.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: Additional data for each donor of for subset and mesenchymal stem cell phenotypic markers are available from the corresponding author at kmartin@giftoflife.org.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Kathryn Martin, Researcher, Research & Development, Gift of Life Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, 5901 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Boca Raton, FL 33487, United States. kattmart80@gmail.com
Received: June 18, 2025 Revised: July 18, 2025 Accepted: November 12, 2025 Published online: December 26, 2025 Processing time: 190 Days and 12.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Our mission is to cure hematopoietic malignancies through cell therapy. Time to transplant is a key challenge resulting in mortality of patients needing a transplant. Previous studies reported CD146+ mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) regulating hematopoiesis in bone marrow (BM). In 2013, the study reported the existence in the synovium of a MSC subset, co-expressing CD73 and CD39, with greater osteo-chondrogenic potency and ability to produce adenosine. This subset expressed CD146, known to be associated with pericytes.
AIM
To investigate the presence and characterization of the CD73+CD39+CD146+ MSC subset in BM. Furthermore, we explored the existence of this subset in mobilized blood.
METHODS
BM cells were culture expanded up to passage 4. Flow cytometry was used to verify expression of CD73, CD39, and CD146 markers. Cell sorting was performed via BDFACS AriaTM Fusion. The subset was assessed for defined MSC characteristics and perivascular localization in BM sections. Peripheral blood derived MSCs were obtained through apheresis performed at Gift of Life under Institutional Review Board donor consent.
RESULTS
Our findings demonstrated that the combination of CD73, CD39, and CD146 enabled the identification and purification of a subset of MSCs from culture-expanded BM, up to passage 4. This subset exhibited a CD45-CD73+CD39+CD146+ phenotype, along with self-renewal and multipotency abilities, and was located in perivascular areas of BM sections. Additionally, this subset was found in both single and dual-mobilized leukopaks.
CONCLUSION
The CD73+CD39+CD146+ cell subset showed self-renewal and multipotency abilities and was located in perivascular areas of BM. Such cell subset was also reported in single and dual-mobilized leukopaks.
Core Tip: In this study, the co-expression of CD73, CD39, and CD146 enabled the identification and enrichment of a mesenchymal stem cell subset with pericyte-like properties from bone marrow cultures. This subset was also found in mobilized blood of adult donors, which serve as a source for allogenic stem cell transplants. Since pericytes are known to play a vital role in maintaining hematopoiesis in vivo, we anticipate that using this subset in a co-culture system with hematopoietic stem cells could potentially lead, with further investigation, to methods for expanding hematopoietic stem cells and creating an inventory of products that are readily available for transplants.
