ISOLATION, CULTURE AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POSTNATAL HUMAN UMBILICAL VEIN-DERIVED MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS

On the basis of reports that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be isolated from the placenta/umbilicalcord stroma, the present study was undertaken to isolate and characterize MSCs from the humanumbilical cord veins. In this investigation, a cell population was isolated which was derived from theendothelium/subendothelium layers of 20 umbilical cord veins obtained from term deliveries using asolution of 0.1% collagenase type IV. Results suggest that these cells possess morphological,immunophenotypical and cell differentiation capacities similar to the bone marrow-derived mesenchymalstem cells (MSCs). The isolated cell population has fibroblastoid morphology which upon properstimulation gives rise to adipocytes, osteocytes and chondrocytes in culture. Immunophenotypically, thiscell population is positive for CD54, CD29, CD73, CD49e, CD166, CD105, CD13, and CD44 markersand alpha-smooth muscle actin and negative for CD31, CD45, CD49d, and CD34 markers, vonWillebrand factor (vWF) and smooth muscle myosin (MySM). Altogether, these findings indicate thatumbilical cord obtained from term deliveries is an important source of MSCs which could have animportant application in cell therapy protocols.