Optimizing aseptic and serum milieu for the isolation of human whole umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Abstract

BackgroundMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have become an attractive tool for tissue engineering and targets in clinical transplantation due to their regeneration potential and immune-suppressive capacity. The human umbilical cord, which is discarded at birth, can provide an inexhaustible source of stem cells for therapy. They are reported to contain immune privilege cells which may be suitable for allogenic-based therapies. However, the use of MSCs for therapeutic application is based on their subsequent large-scale in vitro expansion. A fast and efficient protocol for the generation of large quantities of MSCs is required to meet the clinical demand and biomedical research needs.ResultsMSCs were isolated from the umbilical cord by explants and enzymatic digestion and cultured in the appropriate growth medium resulted in the propagation of more than 1X 108 cells within 15 days from the single umbilical cord.ConclusionThe isolation efficiency, cell yield, colony-forming unit fibroblast (CFU-F), growth kinetics, phenotypic characteristics of UCMSCs were determined.