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Autoimmunity and Organ Regeneration Laboratory, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù Scientific Institute, Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Piazza S. Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy¹ Istituto di Neurobiologia e Medicina Molecolare-CNR, Via Fosso del Fiorano, 64, 00143 Rome, Italy² Department of Surgery, Tor Vergata University, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy

(Correspondence should be addressed to A Fierabracci; Email: fierabracci{at}med.uniroma2.it; alefierabracci{at}hotmail.it)

There is evidence that tissue-specific stem cells reside in certain adult tissues. Their specific properties remain elusive, because they are rare and heterogeneous in parent tissues; furthermore, technical difficulties have been encountered in the identification and characterization of their progeny. The aim of this study was to isolate stem/progenitor cells from the human thyroid. We devised a method based on the enzymatic digestion of fresh surgical thyroid specimens, followed by culture of cells in the presence of epidermal growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor. We also used markers that identify and characterize these cells. Spheroids with self-replicative potential were obtained from all thyroid specimens. The isolated population contained a subset of CD34+ CD45– cells and it was able, in differentiation conditions, to generate follicles with thyroid hormonal production. In support of the plasticity concept, we obtained evidence that, when most freshly isolated spheroids were co-cultured with a neuroblastoma cell line, they produced progeny expressing the neuronal marker β-tubulin III. Spheroids were also able to undergo adipogenic differentiation when cultured in adipogenic medium. We conclude that a predominant functional type of stem/progenitor cell exists within the thyroid, with an intrinsic ability to generate thyroidal cells and the potential to produce non-thyroidal cells.

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