The umbilical cord matrix is a better source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) than the umbilical cord blood

Abstract

Many studies have drawn attention to the emerging role of MSC (mesenchymal stem cells) as a promising population supporting new clinical concepts in cellular therapy. However, the sources from which these cells can be isolated are still under discussion. Whereas BM (bone marrow) is presented as the main source of MSC, despite the invasive procedure related to this source, the possibility of isolating sufficient numbers of these cells from UCB (umbilical cord blood) remains controversial. Here, we present the results of experiments aimed at isolating MSC from UCB, BM and UCM (umbilical cord matrix) using different methods of isolation and various culture media that summarize the main procedures and criteria reported in the literature. Whereas isolation of MSC were successful from BM (10:10) and (UCM) (8:8), only one cord blood sample (1:15) gave rise to MSC using various culture media [DMEM (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium) +5% platelet lysate, DMEM+10% FBS (fetal bovine serum), DMEM+10% human UCB serum, MSCGM] and different isolation methods [plastic adherence of total MNC (mononuclear cells), CD3+/CD19+/CD14+/CD38+-depleted MNC and CD133+- or LNGFR+-enriched MNC]. MSC from UCM and BM were able to differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes and hepatocytes. The expansion potential was highest for MSC from UCM. The two cell populations had CD90+/CD73+/CD105+ phenotype with the additional expression of SSEA4 and LNGFR for BM MSC. These results clearly exclude UCB from the list of MSC sources for clinical use and propose instead UCM as a rich, non-invasive and abundant source of MSC.

Transplantation of umbilical cord–derived mesenchymal stem cells as a novel strategy to protect the central nervous system: technical aspects, preclinical studies, and clinical perspectives

“…Some groups have demonstrated the presence of MSCs in UCB, whereas others report that the UCB is not a rich source of MSCs (40)(41)(42)(43). The number of MSCs per UCB unit appears to be relatively low, as is their proliferation rate, and MSCs have been isolated from only a small percentage of UCB samples (44,45). In this context, the UC is gaining increasing attention because it contains high amounts of MSCs that have been shown to be isolatable from 100% of the samples tested by several groups (27,42,45,46).…”

“…The number of MSCs per UCB unit appears to be relatively low, as is their proliferation rate, and MSCs have been isolated from only a small percentage of UCB samples (44,45). In this context, the UC is gaining increasing attention because it contains high amounts of MSCs that have been shown to be isolatable from 100% of the samples tested by several groups (27,42,45,46). Depending on the derivation protocol used, and the part of the UC from which they were isolated, various types of hUC-MSCs have been reported: UC matrix stem cells, UC perivascular cells, UC stromal cells, Wharton's jelly stem cells, cord-lining membrane MSCs, and UC-lining stem cells (5,20,30,(47)(48)(49).…”

“…Depending on the derivation protocol used, and the part of the UC from which they were isolated, various types of hUC-MSCs have been reported: UC matrix stem cells, UC perivascular cells, UC stromal cells, Wharton's jelly stem cells, cord-lining membrane MSCs, and UC-lining stem cells (5,20,30,(47)(48)(49). Even though the MSCs isolated from these various compartments have not yet been compared with each other, they have been shown to resemble BM-MSCs while retaining some specific characteristics: they express mesenchymal markers and, furthermore, constitutively express early embryonic transcription factors such as Nanog, Oct-4, and Sox-2 (50,51); they tend to express lower levels of human leukocyte antigen-DR than their BM counterparts (20,27); their growth behavior, including population doubling time and capacity to be maintained in culture over a long period, has been shown to be better than that of BM-MSCs (27,45,52); the frequency of colony-forming units-fibroblasts in the UC has been demonstrated to be higher than in the BM, ranging from 1:333 to 1:1,609 (vs. 1:10,000-1:36,000 in the BM) depending on the laboratory and the isolation procedures used (20,27).…”

Differential Signalling Through ALK-1 and ALK-5 Regulates Leptin Expression in Mesenchymal Stem Cells

“…Isolation of BM MSCs (n = 7) was performed as described in Ref. [14]. The synovial tissue were obtained from patients during joint replacement.…”

“…Despite these results, no mechanism of leptin expression has been proposed. In this study, we investigated leptin expression in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) that are widely used in various cell therapy protocols, and in umbilical cord matrix-derived MSCs (UMSC) that are considered as an emerging source of MSC for cell therapy [14]. Results demonstrated that BM-MSC but not UMSC produced leptin.…”