TY - JOUR
T1 - Wharton's jelly derived mesenchymal stromal cells
T2 - Biological properties, induction of neuronal phenotype and current applications in neurodegeneration research
AU - Frausin, Stefano
AU - Viventi, Serena
AU - Verga Falzacappa, Lucia
AU - Quattromani, Miriana Jlenia
AU - Leanza, Giampiero
AU - Tommasini, Alberto
AU - Valencic, Erica
PY - 2015/5/1
Y1 - 2015/5/1
N2 - Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells, also known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), can be isolated from bone marrow or other tissues, including fat, muscle and umbilical cord. It has been shown that MSC behave in vitro as stem cells: they self-renew and are able to differentiate into mature cells typical of several mesenchymal tissues. Moreover, the differentiation toward non-mesenchymal cell lineages (e.g. neurons) has been reported as well. The clinical relevance of these cells is mainly related to their ability to spontaneously migrate to the site of inflammation/damage, to their safety profile thanks to their low immunogenicity and to their immunomodulation capacities. To date, MSCs isolated from the post-natal bone marrow have represented the most extensively studied population of adult MSCs, in view of their possible use in various therapeutical applications. However, the bone marrow-derived MSCs exhibit a series of limitations, mainly related to their problematic isolation, culturing and use. In recent years, umbilical cord (UC) matrix (i.e. Wharton's jelly, WJ) stromal cells have therefore emerged as a more suitable alternative source of MSCs, thanks to their primitive nature and the easy isolation without relevant ethical concerns. This review seeks to provide an overview of the main biological properties of WJ-derived MSCs. Moreover, the potential application of these cells for the treatment of some known dysfunctions in the central and peripheral nervous system will also be discussed.
AB - Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells, also known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), can be isolated from bone marrow or other tissues, including fat, muscle and umbilical cord. It has been shown that MSC behave in vitro as stem cells: they self-renew and are able to differentiate into mature cells typical of several mesenchymal tissues. Moreover, the differentiation toward non-mesenchymal cell lineages (e.g. neurons) has been reported as well. The clinical relevance of these cells is mainly related to their ability to spontaneously migrate to the site of inflammation/damage, to their safety profile thanks to their low immunogenicity and to their immunomodulation capacities. To date, MSCs isolated from the post-natal bone marrow have represented the most extensively studied population of adult MSCs, in view of their possible use in various therapeutical applications. However, the bone marrow-derived MSCs exhibit a series of limitations, mainly related to their problematic isolation, culturing and use. In recent years, umbilical cord (UC) matrix (i.e. Wharton's jelly, WJ) stromal cells have therefore emerged as a more suitable alternative source of MSCs, thanks to their primitive nature and the easy isolation without relevant ethical concerns. This review seeks to provide an overview of the main biological properties of WJ-derived MSCs. Moreover, the potential application of these cells for the treatment of some known dysfunctions in the central and peripheral nervous system will also be discussed.
KW - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
KW - Mesenchymal stem cells
KW - Neural differentiation
KW - Neuroprotection
KW - Peripheral nerve regeneration
KW - Wharton's jelly
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U2 - 10.1016/j.acthis.2015.02.005
DO - 10.1016/j.acthis.2015.02.005
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84930538866
VL - 117
SP - 329
EP - 338
JO - Acta Histochemica
JF - Acta Histochemica
SN - 0065-1281
IS - 4-5
ER -