16 research outputs found
Regenerative potential of the product CardioCell derived from the Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells for treating hindlimb oschemia
In recent years, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising therapeutic
modality in regenerative medicine. They hold great promise for treating civilization-wide diseases,
including cardiovascular diseases, such as acute myocardial infarction and critical limb ischemia.
MSCs isolated from Whartonâs jelly (WJ-MSCs) may be utilized in both cell-based therapy and
vascular graft engineering to restore vascular function, thereby providing therapeutic benefits for
patients. The efficacy of WJ-MSCs lies in their multipotent differentiation ability toward vascular
smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells and other cell types, as well as their capacity to secrete various
trophic factors, which are potent in promoting angiogenesis, inhibiting apoptosis and modulating
immunoreaction. Ischemic limb disease is caused by insufficient nutrient and oxygen supplies
resulting from damaged peripheral arteries. The lack of nutrients and oxygen causes severe tissue
damage in the limb, thereby resulting in severe morbidities and mortality. The therapeutic effects of
the conventional treatments are still not sufficient. Cell transplantations in small animal model (mice)
are vital for deciphering the mechanisms of MSCsâ action in muscle regeneration. The stimulation
of angiogenesis is a promising strategy for the treatment of ischemic limbs, restoring blood supply
for the ischemic region. In the present study, we focus on the therapeutic properties of the human
WJ-MSCs derived product, Cardio. We investigated the role of CardioCell in promoting angiogenesis
and relieving hindlimb ischemia. Our results confirm the healing effect of CardioCell and strongly
support the use of the WJ-MSCs in regenerative medicine
Molecular and Functional Verification of Whartonâs Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells (WJ-MSCs) Pluripotency
The properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), especially their self-renewal and ability to differentiate into different cell lines, are widely discussed. Considering the fact that MSCs isolated from perinatal tissues reveal higher differentiation capacity than most adult MSCs, we examined mesenchymal stem cells isolated from Wharton’s jelly of umbilical cord (WJ-MSCs) in terms of pluripotency markers expression. Our studies showed that WJ-MSCs express some pluripotency markers—such as NANOG, OCT-4, and SSEA-4—but in comparison to iPS cells expression level is significantly lower. The level of expression can be raised under hypoxic conditions. Despite their high proliferation potential and ability to differentiate into different cells type, WJ-MSCs do not form tumors in vivo, the major caveat of iPS cells. Owing to their biological properties, high plasticity, proliferation capacity, and ease of isolation and culture, WJ-MSCs are turning out to be a promising tool of modern regenerative medicine
The Importance of HLA Assessment in âOff-the-Shelfâ Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells Based-Therapies
The need for more effective therapies of chronic and acute diseases has led to the attempts of developing more adequate and less invasive treatment methods. Regenerative medicine relies mainly on the therapeutic potential of stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), due to their immunosuppressive properties and tissue repair abilities, seem to be an ideal tool for cell-based therapies. Taking into account all available sources of MSCs, perinatal tissues become an attractive source of allogeneic MSCs. The allogeneic MSCs provide “off-the-shelf” cellular therapy, however, their allogenicity may be viewed as a limitation for their use. Moreover, some evidence suggests that MSCs are not as immune-privileged as it was previously reported. Therefore, understanding their interactions with the recipient’s immune system is crucial for their successful clinical application. In this review, we discuss both autologous and allogeneic application of MSCs, focusing on current approaches to allogeneic MSCs therapies, with a particular interest in the role of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and HLA-matching in allogeneic MSCs transplantation. Importantly, the evidence from the currently completed and ongoing clinical trials demonstrates that allogeneic MSCs transplantation is safe and seems to cause no major side-effects to the patient. These findings strongly support the case for MSCs efficacy in treatment of a variety of diseases and their use as an “off-the-shelf” medical product