Abstract
Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) are emerging as a promising source for bone regeneration in the treatment of bone defects. Previous studies have reported the ability of WJ-MSCs to be induced into the osteogenic lineage. The purpose of this review was to systematically assess the potential of WJ-MSC differentiation into the osteogenic lineage. A comprehensive search was conducted in Medline via Ebscohost and Scopus, where relevant studies published between 1961 and 2018 were selected. The main inclusion criteria were that articles must be primary studies published in English evaluating osteogenic induction of WJ-MSCs. The literature search identified 92 related articles, but only 18 articles met the inclusion criteria. These include two animal studies, three articles containing both in vitro and in vivo assessments, and 13 articles on in vitro studies, all of which are discussed in this review. There were two types of osteogenic induction used in these studies, either chemical or physical. The studies demonstrate that WJ-MSCs are able to differentiate into osteogenic lineage and promote osteogenesis. In light of these observations, it is suggested that WJ-MSCs can be a potential source of stem cells for osteogenic induction, as an alternative to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
Highlights
We only found one article that used autoserum for Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)) in vitro as a substitute for FBS to reduce the rejection rate
(1) MicroCT result showed that transplantation of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) increased bone mass in the distal condyle of normal rat femur compared to other groups
(6) In vitro coculture system showed more expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) if the osteoblast is cocultured with UC-MSCs
Summary
About 25 years ago, the umbilical cord was considered to be a type of medical waste, until it was found to be a rich source of stem cells [1]. The human umbilical cord (HUC) is approximately 65 cm in length and 1.5 cm in diameter [2, 3]; it connects the fetus to the mother and supplies nourishment. The HUC contains two arteries and one vein, which are surrounded by a mucoid connective tissue known as Wharton’s jelly (WJ) [7]. This mucous connective tissue is made up of mucopolysaccharides that are hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulphate [8]. The inner layer of WJ is known as perivascular WJ which contains arteries and vein [7] (Figure 1)
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