MRNAs and miRNAs profiling of mesenchymal stem cells derived from amniotic fluid and skin: The double face of the coin

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be isolated from different adult sources and, even if the minimal criteria for defining MSCs have been reported, the scientific question about the potential distinctions among MSCs derived from different sources is still open. In particular, it is debated whether MSCs of different origin have the same grade of stemness or whether the source affects their undifferentiated status. Here, we report not only the isolation and the traditional characterization of MSCs derived from amniotic fluid (AF-MSCs) and skin (S-MSCs) but also a molecular characterization based on mRNAs and miRNAs profiling. Our results show that, even if both AF- and S-MSCs are mostly regulated by the same pathways (such as Wnt, MAPK and TGF-β), there are some important differences at the molecular level that directly affect important cellular features, such as the ability to differentiate into adipocytes. In conclusion, even if further studies are necessary to improve the knowledge about the role of each dysregulated miRNAs gene, these differences may actually strengthen the question about the importance of tissue origin.