Human Umbilical Cord-Based Therapeutics: Stem Cells and Blood Derivatives for Female Reproductive Medicine

Abstract

There are several conditions that lead to female infertility, where traditional or conventional treatments have limited efficacy. In these challenging scenarios, stem cell (SC) therapies have been investigated as alternative treatment strategies. Human umbilical cord (hUC) mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSC), along with their secreted paracrine factors, extracts, and biomolecules, have emerged as promising therapeutic alternatives in regenerative medicine, due to their remarkable potential to promote anti-inflammatory and regenerative processes more efficiently than other autologous treatments. Similarly, hUC blood derivatives, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), or isolated plasma elements, such as growth factors, have also demonstrated potential. This literature review aims to summarize the recent therapeutic advances based on hUC-MSCs, hUC blood, and/or other plasma derivatives (e.g., extracellular vesicles, hUC-PRP, and growth factors) in the context of female reproductive medicine. We present an in-depth analysis of the principal molecules mediating tissue regeneration, compiling the application of these therapies in preclinical and clinical studies, within the context of the human reproductive tract. Despite the recent advances in bioengineering strategies that sustain delivery and amplify the scope of the therapeutic benefits, further clinical trials are required prior to the wide implementation of these alternative therapies in reproductive medicine.

Expression profiles of human somatic mesenchymal stem cells derived from fresh endometrium, ectopic-endometrium and umbilical cord

“…The expression profiles of MSCs differ significantly among different tissues [1]. The colocalization of eMSCs with CD140b, CD146, and SUSD2, which are derived from human endometrium, indicates a high enrichment of these markers in eMSCs [3,5,14]. These findings suggest the existence of multiple subpopulations of eMSCs with different phenotypes.…”

“…Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are primitive cells that possess the ability to self-renew and differentiate in multiple directions. They can be found in various tissues and organs, including bone marrow [1,2], human adipose tissue, endometrium, umbilical cord (UC), amniotic fluid, deciduous pulp, and skeletal muscle [3][4][5]. Due to their capacity for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation, MSCs are highly regarded as attractive candidates for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering [6,7].…”

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomal miR-27b-3p alleviates liver fibrosis via downregulating YAP/LOXL2 pathway

“…MSC can be obtained from bone marrow and other fetal or postnatal tissues, including adipose tissue, umbilical cord blood, and the Wharton's jelly of the umbilical cord [28]. Among these sources, the umbilical cord is an attractive source of MSC because of its abundant tissue source, less immunogenic, and less invasive than other sources [29,30]. Furthermore, exosomes from umbilical cord-derived MSC were more effective than adipose-derived MSC or bone marrow-derived MSC in repairing tissue damage [31].…”

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomal miR-27b-3p alleviates liver fibrosis via downregulating YAP/LOXL2 pathway

“…MSC can be obtained from bone marrow as well as other fetal or postnatal tissues, including adipose tissue, umbilical cord blood, and the Wharton's jelly of the umbilical cord [29]. Among these sources, the umbilical cord is an attractive source of MSC because of its abundant tissue source, less immunogenic, and less invasive than other sources [30,31]. Furthermore, exosomes from umbilical cord-derived MSC were more effective than adipose-derived MSC or bone marrow-derived MSC in repairing tissue damage [32].…”