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World J Stem Cells. Sep 26, 2026; 18(9): 124197
Published online Sep 26, 2026. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.124197
Published online Sep 26, 2026. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.124197
Density gradient centrifugation vs adherence for rat intestinal mesenchymal stem cell isolation
Su-Yu Lai, Yi-Xian Zeng, Xiao-Feng Wang, Department of Proctology, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China
Yun Jiang, Department of Proctology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan 250014, Shandong Province, China
Run Yuan, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100091, China
Zhuo Wang, Yi-Chang Wang, Chao-Ying Cai, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China
Zi-Ting Zhao, Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover 30625, Lower Saxony, Germany
Meng-Yi Ruan, The Eighth Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan 430012, Hubei Province, China
Bing Ren, Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Shijingshan District, Beijing 100043, China
Co-first authors: Su-Yu Lai and Yun Jiang.
Author contributions: Lai SY and Jiang Y contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-first authors. Lai SY and Jiang Y conceived and designed the study; Lai SY, Jiang Y, Wang Z, Wang YC, Cai CY, Ruan MY, and Zeng YX performed the experiments and collected the data; Yuan R, Zhao ZT, and Ren B analyzed and interpreted the data; Wang YC contributed to the statistical analysis; Wang XF supervised the research and revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: The authors declare that no AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.
Supported by Central High-Level Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Clinical Research and Achievement Transformation Capacity Improvement Project, No. HLCMHPP2023126; and the Major Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. CI2021A02109.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All animal experimental procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (Approval No. IACUC-GAMH-2025-060).
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Xiao-Feng Wang, MD, Full Professor, Department of Proctology, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 5 North Line Pavilion, Xicheng District, Beijing 100053, China. wangxiaofeng74@hotmail.com
Received: June 10, 2026
Revised: July 24, 2026
Accepted: September 15, 2026
Published online: September 26, 2026
Processing time: 107 Days and 21.3 Hours
Revised: July 24, 2026
Accepted: September 15, 2026
Published online: September 26, 2026
Processing time: 107 Days and 21.3 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Intestinal mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold therapeutic potential for intestinal diseases, but standardized isolation protocols for rat intestinal MSCs are lacking. This study systematically compares conventional adherence culture and Percoll density gradient centrifugation for isolating rat intestinal MSCs. Density gradient centrifugation yields cells with higher purity, enhanced proliferation, and superior osteogenic/adipogenic differentiation potential. This simple, cost-effective method addresses the limitations of conventional adherence culture and provides a standardized cell source for intestinal regenerative medicine research.