title: Effective treatment of severe steroid-resistant acute graft-versus-host disease with umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Severe steroid-resistant acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is associated with high mortality. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC) have been found to be immunosuppressive, and intravenous infusion of BMMSC is an effective therapy for steroid-resistant aGVHD. However, acquiring BMMSC requires an invasive procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSC) and BMMSC for morphology, surface markers expression, differentiation, proliferative potential, and their suppressive effects on peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation. After institutional review board approved, we intravenously infused ex vivo expanded third-party UCMSC into two patients with severe steroid-resistant aGVHD. Adverse effects and patient responses of UCMSC were monitored. All procedures for UCMSC processing complied with current good tissue practice requirements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that UCMSC had superior proliferative potential and more suppressive effects on peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation compared with BMMSC. The aGVHD improved dramatically after each of four infusions of UCMSC into the two patients. No adverse effects were noted. Both patients are doing well now. CONCLUSIONS. Considering that acquiring UCMSC is noninvasive, these cells would appear to be the ideal candidates for clinical cell-based therapies. This is the first report of UCMSC in a human clinical application, and this procedure seems both feasible and safe. These findings suggested that UCMSC were effective for treating aGVHD.
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kang-Hsi
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chin-Kan
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Yu-Hsiang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sieber
authors.forename: Tsan-Hung
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Ching-Tien
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Han-Ping
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jing-Long
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D013256:Steroids