The effects of human umbilical cord blood transplantation in rats with experimentally induced spinal cord injury

Abstract

Human umbilical cord blood is stem cell rich and easily available, and it carries less risk of inducing a graft-versus-host reaction in the recipient. Human umbilical cord blood serum is also noted to contain stem cell–promoting factors, which is why cell isolation was not used in this study. Freshly obtained cord blood was also used because storage of cord blood has been reported to have some negative effects on stem cells. Transplantation of freshly obtained HUCB into the hemisectioned spinal cord experimental model demonstrated clinical and neurophysiological improvement.

Clinical observation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in treatment for sequelae of thoracolumbar spinal cord injury

“…Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) can be used in the treatment for sequelae of spinal cord injury more than 1 year after initial injury, and is proved to be safe in the follow-up [14]. Transplantation of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal cells into rats at the hemitransected spinal cord showed significant improvement in electrophysiological examination [15]. In the treatment of acute spinal cord injury, human umbilical cord mesenchymal cells transplanted into rats promoted the recovery of spinal cord morphology and function [16].…”

Umbilical cord blood CD34+ stem cells and other mononuclear cell subtypes processed up to 96 h from collection and stored at room temperature maintain a satisfactory functionality for cell therapy

“…UCB has also been under intense experimental investigation in regenerative medicine. Several cord blood subpopulations such as mesenchymal stromal cells, unrestricted somatic stem cells and endothelial cells have been studied in distinct assays . Moreover, cord blood cells may be used for standardized induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) generation .…”

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Contribute to Improvement of Renal Function in a Canine Kidney Injury Model

“…In humans, it is well known that umbilical cord blood represents a major source of stem cells. Indeed, there have been several reports on the characteristics of stem cells (16,17) and clinical trials evaluating the therapeutic effects of umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells on various degenerative diseases (18)(19)(20). Our previous studies demonstrated the isolation of cUCB-MSCs (14) and reported on clinical trials evaluating the therapeutic effect of these cells on degenerative diseases (21).…”