Abstract
The field of regenerative medicine has recently seen an emerging trend toward decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) as a biological scaffold for stem cell-delivery. Human umbilical cord represents a valuable opportunity from both technical and ethical point of view to obtain allogenic ECM. Herein, we established a protocol, allowing the full removal of cell membranes and nuclei moieties from Wharton’s jelly (WJ) tissue. No alterations in the ECM components (i.e., collagen, GAG content, and growth factors), physical (i.e., porosity and swelling) and mechanical (i.e., linear tensile modulus) properties were noticed following WJ processing. Furthermore, no effect of the tissue processing on macromolecules and growth factors retention was observed, assuring thus a suitable bioactive matrix for cell maintenance upon recellularization. Based on the in vitro and in vivo biodegradability and stromal cell homing capabilities, decellularized WJ could provide an ideal substrate for stromal cells adhesion and colonization. Interestingly, the tissue processing increased the antibacterial and antiadhesive properties of WJ against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis pathogens. Altogether, our results indicate that decellularized WJ matrix is able to limit Staphylococcus-related infections and to promote stromal cell homing, thus offering a versatile scaffold for tissue regenerative medicine.
Highlights
With a length and a diameter of about 40 and 1.5 cm, the umbilical cord connects the placenta to the developing fetus, ensuring thereby its nourishment, and oxygenation
2.5.2 ELISA Freeze-dried samples were soaked in 1 ml of fetal bovine serum (FBS)-free α-MEM and 1 ml of α- MEM supplemented with 10% of FBS for 72 h and the released vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatic growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor beta
Wharton’s jelly (WJ)-SCs were enzymatically isolated from fresh human umbilical cords obtained after full-term births and cultured in α-MEM supplemented with 10% decomplemented FBS, 1% Penicillin/
Summary
With a length and a diameter of about 40 and 1.5 cm, the umbilical cord connects the placenta to the developing fetus, ensuring thereby its nourishment, and oxygenation. With its immunologically-privileged status, the WJ lends credence to its use as an allograft for difficult-to-heal wounds To this end, fresh or cryopreserved WJ patches have been used in clinical practice with proven reparative effects following skin graft procedure and treatment of foot ulcers and diabetic ulcers with osteomyelitis. Several studies aim at developing innovative bioinspired scaffolds in order to counteract ECM loss following degeneration and to support functional recovery by endogenous damaged microenvironment In such scenario, the potential therapeutic scaffold would be the native ECM; an acellular component of tissue that provides the structural support and biochemical cues for determining a cell’s fate. To our knowledge, we report for the first time, the antibacterial properties of decellularized WJ-based patches, opening the route for the development of new and affordable WJ-bioactive antibacterial matrix for regenerative medicine
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