Umbilical Cord is a Rich Source of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Cell Therapy.
Recently, umbilical cord (UC) and UC-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs) have attracted much attention for many reasons, including (1) abundant sources and ease of collection, storage, and transport; (2) little ethical controversy; (3) multipotency to differentiate into various cell types; and (4) low immunogenicity with significant immunosuppressive ability. In this review, we provide a brief introduction to UC and UC-MSCs in terms of characteristics, isolation, and cryopreservation, as well as emphasizing their potential clinical application in regenerative medicine and immunotherapy.
Department of Cell Processing and Transfusion, Research Hospital, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Tokiko
T
Nagamura-Inoue
Takeo
T
Mukai
D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015925:Cryopreservation; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000166:cytology*