title: Evaluation of a cell-banking strategy for the production of clinical grade mesenchymal stromal cells from Wharton's jelly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Umbilical cord (UC) has been proposed as a source of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for use in experimental cell-based therapies provided that its collection does not raise any risk to the donor, and, similar to bone marrow and lipoaspirates, UC-MSCs are multipotent cells with immuno-modulative properties. However, some of the challenges that make a broader use of UC-MSCs difficult include the limited availability of fresh starting tissue, time-consuming processing for successful derivation of cell lines, and the lack of information on identity, potency and genetic stability in extensively expanded UC-MSCs, which are necessary for banking relevant cell numbers for preclinical and clinical studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Factors affecting the success of the derivation process (namely, time elapsed from birth to processing and weight of fragments), and methods for establishing a two-tiered system of Master Cell Bank and Working Cell Bank of UC-MSCs were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Efficient derivation of UC-MSCs was achieved by using UC fragments larger than 7 g that were processed within 80 h from birth. Cells maintained their immunophenotype (being highly positive for CD105, CD90 and CD73 markers), multi-potentiality and immuno-modulative properties beyond 40 cumulative population doublings. No genetic abnormalities were found, as determined by G-banding karyotype, human telomerase reverse transcriptase activity was undetectable and no toxicity was observed in vivo after intravenous administration of UC-MSCs in athymic rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This works demonstrates the feasibility of the derivation and large-scale expansion of UC-MSCs from small and relatively old fragments of UC typically discarded from public cord blood banking programs.
authors.affiliation: Divisió de Teràpies Avançades/XCELIA, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Oliver-Vila
authors.affiliation: Divisió de Teràpies Avançades/XCELIA, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Coca
authors.affiliation: Divisió de Teràpies Avançades/XCELIA, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grau-Vorster
authors.affiliation: Divisió de Teràpies Avançades/XCELIA, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Noèlia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pujals-Fonts
authors.affiliation: Divisió de Teràpies Avançades/XCELIA, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caminal
authors.affiliation: Divisió de Teràpies Avançades/XCELIA, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casamayor-Genescà
authors.affiliation: Divisió de Teràpies Avançades/XCELIA, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.affiliation: Divisió de Teràpies Avançades/XCELIA, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reales
authors.affiliation: Divisió de Teràpies Avançades/XCELIA, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Arnau
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pla
authors.affiliation: Divisió de Teràpies Avançades/XCELIA, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.affiliation: Divisió de Teràpies Avançades/XCELIA, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Divisió de Teràpies Avançades/XCELIA, Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: jvives@bst.cat.
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vives
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011923:Rats, Nude; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism; D014015:Tissue Banks; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000166:cytology; D059631:Wharton Jelly / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase
keywords: Good Manufacturing Practice; T-cell proliferation; Wharton's jelly; cell culture; mesenchymal stromal cell; scale up; umbilical cord