In Vitro multinucleated giant cell-like cells formation: An observation.

Abstract

Introduction: The formation of multinucleated giant cells (MGCs), is known to occur during chronic inflammations. However, the molecular mechanisms and cell signalling pathways by which they adhere are largely unknown. Most studies concerning the development of MGCs involve the stimulation of isolated monocytes or macrophages with infectious pathogens. However, such in vitro studies are limited, and the resulting MGCs do not accurately mimic MGC observed in vivo. In this report, we discuss an observation of the emergence of MGCs derived from umbilical cord blood in a modified methylcellulose culture.

Materials and methods: A 10-day colony-forming unit (CFU) assay (methylcellulose culture) using umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells resulted in the emergence of adherent epithelioid-like clusters.

Results: During the latter stages of the culture timeline, monocytic-like cells were observed to emerge from within these adherent clusters, alongside the formation of large MGCs exhibiting their characteristic morphology of multiple nuclei.

Conclusions: This observation could serve as a reference for cell culture studies and may present an alternative model of monocytic-lineage cell development, involving an intermediary stage rather than the conventional linear haematopoietic hierarchy of blood cell differentiation.