Research Article

The Effect of Retinoic Acid on the Expression of Nestin, GATA Binding Protein 3, Neurogenin 1, and Microtubule-Associated Protein 2 Markers in Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Human Adipose Tissue

Abstract

Background and Aim: Hearing loss in developing countries drives interest in stem cell therapies, though underlying molecular mechanisms remain partly unclear. One key pathway in this process is the retinoic acid (RA) signaling pathway. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of RA on the expression of neural markers, including Nestin, Neurogenin 1 (NGN1), Guanine-Adenine-Thymine-Adenine Binding Protein 3 (GATA3), and Microtubule-Associated Protein 2 (MAP2), in human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (hADSCs).
Methods: hADSCs were purchased and treated with RA (1 µM) under standard conditions for 7 and 14 days. RNA was extracted using the FavorPrep™ RNA kit and converted to Complementary DNA (cDNA). Nestin, NGN1, GATA3, and MAP2 gene expression was assessed using Real-Time PCR with Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (GAPDH) as an internal control. Data analysis was conducted using the 2^–ΔΔCt method.
Results: RA significantly increased the expression levels of Nestin, NGN1, and MAP2 after 14 days compared to the control group (Day 0). RA also increased Nestin and MAP2 expression after 7 days, although these changes were not statistically significant compared to the control; moreover, RA acid induced morphological changes in hADSCs.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that RA enhances the neural differentiation of hADSCs by upregulating the neural markers Nestin, NGN1, and MAP2. These findings highlight the potential role of RA in neural differentiation and its clinical applications. These findings suggest that RA’s effects may be dose- and time-dependent, with one µM for 14 days enhancing neural marker expression.

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Keywords
Auditory neurons retinoic acid stem cells human adipose-derived stem cells
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1.
Mahmoudian-Sani M-R, Loghmani S, Ashrafi K, Soltani A, Yarahmadi R, Mobini G. The Effect of Retinoic Acid on the Expression of Nestin, GATA Binding Protein 3, Neurogenin 1, and Microtubule-Associated Protein 2 Markers in Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Human Adipose Tissue. Aud Vestib Res. 2025;.