Recombinant stromal cell‑derived factor‑1 protein promotes neurite outgrowth in PC‑12 cells.

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a chemokine involved in neuronal differentiation, as well as proliferation and migration. In the present study, the effects of recombinant SDF-1 on neurite outgrowth for nerve regeneration and engineering were evaluated in PC-12 cells. The effects of purified SDF-1 protein on cell toxicity, proliferation and migration were also assessed. SDF-1 significantly augmented cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, with low cytotoxicity in PC-12 cells. Cell migration also increased in the presence of SDF-1. SDF-1 significantly increased neurite number and length, compared with the control (untreated cells). Neurofilament mRNA levels, which are involved in neuronal differentiation, were also significantly upregulated in the presence of SDF-1. These results suggested that SDF-1 might prove useful for tissue engineering through induction of neuronal differentiation.