Background: Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer the immense therapeutic potential in stem cell-based therapy of degenerative disorders. However, clinical trials of human ESCs cause heavy ethical concerns. With the derivation of iPSCs established by reprogramming from adult somatic cells through the transgenic expression of transcription factors, this problems would be able to overcome. In the present study, we tried to differentiate porcine iPSCs (piPSCs) into endothelial cells (ECs) for stem cell-based therapy of vascular diseases. Methods: piPSCs (OSKMNL) were induced to differentiation into ECs in four differentiation media (APEL-2, APEL-2 + 50 ng/mL of VEGF, EBM-2, EBM-2 + 50 ng/ mL of VEGF) on cultured plates coated with matrigel® (1:40 dilution with DMEM/F-12 medium) for 8 days. Differentiation efficiency of these cells were exanimated using qRT-PCR, Immunocytochemistry, Western blotting and FACS. Results: As results, expressions of pluripotency-associated markers (OCT-3/4, SOX2 and NANOG) were higher observed in all porcine differentiated cells derived from piPSCs (OSKMNL) cultured in four differentiation media than piPSCs as the control, whereas endothelial-associated marker (CD-31) in the differentiated cells was not expressed. Conclusions: It can be seen that piPSCs (OSKMNL) were not suitable to differentiate into ECs in the four differentiation media unlike porcine epiblast stem cells (pEpiSCs). Therefore, it would be required to establish a suitable PSCs for differentiating into ECs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES

• In-Won Lee(Department of Animal Bioscience, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea, Division of Applied Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea)
• Hyeon-Geun Lee(Department of Animal Bioscience, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea)
• Dae-Ky Moon(Department of Animal Bioscience, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea)
• Yeon-Ji Lee(Department of Animal Bioscience, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea, Division of Applied Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea)
• Bo-Gyeong Seo(Division of Applied Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea, Division of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea)
• Sang-Ki Baek(Gyeongsangnamdo Livestock Experiment Station, Sancheong 52263, Korea)
• Tae-Suk Kim(Department of Animal Bioscience, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea)
• Cheol Hwangbo(Division of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea)
• Joon-Hee Lee(Department of Animal Bioscience, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea, Institute of Agriculture & Life Science, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea) Corresponding author