A Review of Placenta and Umbilical Cord-Derived Stem Cells and the Immunomodulatory Basis of Their Therapeutic Potential in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Abstract

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a devastating lung disorder of preterm infants as a result of an aberrant reparative response following exposures to various antenatal and postnatal insults. Despite sophisticated medical treatment in this modern era, the incidence of BPD remains unabated. The current strategies to prevent and treat BPD have met with limited success. The emergence of stem cell therapy may be a potential breakthrough in mitigating this complex chronic lung disorder. Over the last two decades, the human placenta and umbilical cord have gained increasing attention as a highly potential source of stem cells. Placenta-derived stem cells (PDSCs) and umbilical cord-derived stem cells (UCDSCs) display several advantages such as immune tolerance and are generally devoid of ethical constraints, in addition to their stemness qualities. They possess the characteristics of both embryonic and mesenchymal stromal/stem cells. Recently, there are many preclinical studies investigating the use of these cells as therapeutic agents in neonatal disease models for clinical applications. In this review, we describe the preclinical and clinical studies using PDSCs and UCDSCs as treatment in animal models of BPD. The source of these stem cells, routes of administration, and effects on immunomodulation, inflammation and regeneration in the injured lung are also discussed. Lastly, a brief description summarized the completed and ongoing clinical trials using PDSCs and UCDSCs as therapeutic agents in preventing or treating BPD. Due to the complexity of BPD, the development of a safe and efficient therapeutic agent remains a major challenge to both clinicians and researchers.

Wharton jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cell exosomes induce apoptosis and suppress EMT signaling in cervical cancer cells as an effective drug carrier system of paclitaxel

“…1x10 4 Hela cells were seeded in 4 well chamber slides, and Exo or Exo-PAC was added to the medium at 10 μg concentrations and incubated for 24 hours. DiO (green) and DAPI staining were performed and images were taken under a fluorescent microscope and the status of exosomes in the cell was determined.…”

“…Wharton's jelly is a stem cell source consisting of connective tissue composed of mesodermal cells in the umbilical cord [3]. UC-derived MSC's unique properties make them attractive alternatives in cell therapies and regenerative medicine [4]. Stem cells isolated from Wharton's jelly show mesenchymal fibroblast-like morphology with the ability to self-renew and differentiate into neuronal, osteochondral, adipocytic, and muscle derivatives [5].…”

“…For this reason, it is more critical to use tissues easily obtained by non-invasive methods rather than invasive procedures in stem cell isolation and use. The placenta and umbilical cord are mainly disposed of as biological waste after birth and not used for recycling [17,18] The fact that the placenta and umbilical cord tissues are available in large quantities and are readily available is essential in stem cell isolation and the development of derivatives for use in therapy [2,4].…”

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for the Treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease in Children: A Look from Pediatric and Pediatric Surgeon Viewpoints

“…Stem cell therapy represents a prospective approach in regenerative medicine for the repair, replacement, and rejuvenation of tissue [ 1 , 2 ]. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) expanded in vitro have been proposed as potential therapy to treat congenital and acquired lung diseases [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. MSCs are multipotent cells that can differentiate into multiple tissue-forming cell lineages, such as osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, tenocytes, and myocytes.…”

“…The therapeutic strategy is mainly based on the use of corticosteroids, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and supportive care; however, the efficacy is of these methods is variable. The role of MSCs as a state-of-the-art treatment has been proposed in clinical and preclinical studies [ 4 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”