The bioinformatics analysis of intersecting genes between bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and neural stem cells

Objective: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and neural stem cells (NSCs) share overlapping regenerative properties, yet their common molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to identify intersecting genes between BMSCs and NSCs using bioinformatics approaches, elucidating their protein-protein interactions (PPI), functional enrichments, and implications for combined stem cell therapies in neuroregeneration and tissue repair. Methods: Targets associated with BMSCs and NSCs were retrieved from GeneCards filtered by Relevance Score ≥46. Intersecting targets were identified via Venn tool on the Bioinformatics platform. PPI networks were constructed using STRING and visualized in Cytoscape with the cytoHubba plugin employing the maximal clique centrality (MCC) algorithm to rank hub genes. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichments were performed via DAVID dataset. Results: 121 intersecting genes were identified. PPI analysis revealed a network with top 10 hubs, including AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), tumor protein P53 (TP53), catenin beta 1 (CTNNB1), MYC proto-oncogene (MYC), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), caspase 3 (CASP3), interleukin 6 (IL6), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1), and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF1), forming clusters involved in survival, apoptosis, and pluripotency. GO enrichment highlighted biological processes like apoptosis regulation, cellular components in extracellular/synaptic regions, and molecular functions in protein/DNA binding. KEGG pathways were enriched in stem cell pluripotency, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling, apoptosis, and ErbB signaling. Conclusion: These shared genes underscore convergent mechanisms in BMSCs and NSCs for cell fate control and regeneration, supporting synergistic therapies for neurological disorders.