CD49F promoting proliferation, multipotency and reprogramming of adult stem cells through PI3K/AKT/GSK3 pathway

1. A method for preparing adult stem cells, which express CD49f and exhibit an improved homogeneity as compared to pre-culture stem cells, comprising:

(a) the first step of culturing adult stem cells in a growth medium comprising basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), on an agar or agarose coated plate, wherein culturing of the cells increases the expression of at least one of OCT4, SOX2, LIN28, NANOG, and increases the expression level of CD49f, and thereby forming adult stem cell spheres; and

(b) the second step of isolating adult stem cells from the adult stem cell spheres produced in (a), wherein the expression of CD49f maintains pluripotency or multipotency of said adult stem cells;

thereby preparing adult stem cells which express CD49f and exhibit an improved homogeneity as compared to pre-culture stem cells.

2. A method for preparing homogeneous adult stem cells, comprising: (a) the first step of preparing a cell source comprising adult stem cells, wherein the prepared cells are cultured in a growth medium comprising basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), on an agar or agarose coated plate, wherein culturing of the cells increases the expression of at least one of OCT4, SOX2, LIN28, NANOG, and increases the expression level of CD49f, and thereby forming adult stem cell spheres; and

(b) the second step of isolating CD49f-positive adult stem cells from the adult stem spheres produced in (a).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after culturing the cells for one week in step (a), the number of adult stem cell spheres is 30 to 50 spheres per 1×10 4 cells, and the average diameter of spheres is 100 to 150 μm.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the isolated adult stem cells in step (b) exhibit a similar or increased expression level of CD49f as compared to adult stem cells cultured under adhesive culture conditions.

5. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that adult stem cells used in the first step are the adult stem cells with CD49f positive characteristics, which are isolated from a cell source.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second steps are repeated 2 times or more, and the method further comprises the step of separating the adult stem cell spheres into single adult stem cells after the second step and before the repeated first step.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the first step said cells are cultured by regulating PI3K/AKT/GSKβ so that said CD49F expression is maintained or further increased.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the first step, the cells are cultured with the addition of a GSK36 inhibitor.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that wherein the adult stem cells isolated from the second step have increased expression of OCT4, SOX2, or both, as compared to adult stem cells obtained by culturing the adult stem cells derived from the same cell source under adhesive culture conditions.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the isolation in step (b) uses antibodies which recognize surface antigens of CD49f.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein expression of OCT4, SOX2, c-myc, paxillin, ilk, p13K and nanog is increased in the isolated adult stem cells of (b) as compared to the expression of the same protein in spindle-shaped adult stem cells obtained by culturing the adult stem cells derived from the same cell source under adhesive culture conditions.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the isolated adult stem cells of (b), express PI3K and GSK3β, wherein said PI3K and GSK3β are highly phosphorylated as compared to spindle-shaped adult stem cells obtained by culturing the adult stem cells derived from the same cell source under adhesive culture conditions.

13. A method for proliferating adult stem cells which express CD49f, comprising the step of culturing adult stem cells which express CD49f, prepared by the method according to claim 1 or 2 .

14. The method for proliferating adult stem cells which express CD49f according to claim 13 , wherein the adult stem cells are cultured in suspension culture or adhesive culture.

15. A method for preparing adult stem cells, which have CD49f-positive characteristics comprising:

(a) plating adult stem cells on an agarose coated plate in a growth medium comprising basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and epidermal growth factor (EGF);

(b) culturing the adult stem cells on said agarose coated plate in said growth medium for at least a week;

(c) isolating and collecting the resultant adult stem cell spheres, wherein said adult stem cell spheres have increased expression of at least one of OCT4, SOX2, LIN28 and NANOG; and

(d) further isolating CD49f-positive adult stem cells from the adult stem cell spheres of step (b), wherein the CD49f-positive cells exhibit an improved homogeneity as compared to pre-culture stem cells.

16. A method for preparing a homogeneous adult stem cell population, comprising:

(a) plating adult stem cells on an agarose coated plate in a growth medium comprising basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and epidermal growth factor (EGF);

(b) culturing the adult stem cells on said agarose coated plate in said growth medium for at least a week;

(c) isolating and collecting the resultant adult stem cell spheres, wherein said adult stem cell spheres have increased expression of at least one of OCT4, SOX2, LIN28 and NANOG; and

(d) further isolating CD49f- positive adult stem cells from the adult stem cell spheres, thereby forming a homogenous adult stem cell population.