Description
Naive or primitive states of stem cells (SCs) resided in specific niches are unstable and difficult to stabilized in vitro. Vitamin-C (VitC), more than suppressing oxygen radicals, exerts the pleiotropic effects on primitive SC functions through various mechanisms. However, instability and unfavorable cellular toxicity by liable oxidation present crucial pitfalls in its reliable application. Here, we show that a VitC derivate, ascorbic acid 2-glucoside (AA2G), without cellular toxicity, stably induces naïve or primitive status of embryonic (ESCs), inducible pluripotent (iPSCs), and mesenchymal SCs (MSCs). AA2G supplement recapitulated the well-known mechanisms of VitC including promoting TET dependent DNA demethylation in murine ESCs or suppressing p53 in iPSCs generation. Particularly, activation of cAMP responsive element binding protein-1 (CREB1) pathway was commonly involved in AA2G potency of ESCs, iPSCs, and MSCs. Importantly, MSCs maintained with AA2G supplement increased the therapeutic outcomes in an asthma mouse model by enhancing their self-renewal, anti-inflammatory, and engraftment capacity. Thus, this study demonstrates that AA2G supplement should be of broad utility to provide an environment supporting naïve pluripotent or primitive state of several types of SCs which critically influences their developmental potency and also efficacy of therapeutic applications.