From 5 to 7 June 2014 the 12th Annual International Cord Blood Symposium was held in San Francisco (http://cordbloodsymposium.org). The meeting was devoted to advances in umbilical cord blood research with a major focus on translational and clinical results in cord blood transplant and in regenerative medicine.
The emerging field of regenerative medicine requires a reliable cell source in addition to biomaterial scaff olds and cytokine/growth factors. The ‘cell’ is a particularly critical element for cell replacement therapies in order to provide a safe and suffi cient cell supply for clinical applications.
Human gestational tissues have demonstrated to be a rich resource of different stem cell populations, showing properties
intermediate between embryonic and adult stem cells, so much so that the potential to differentiate from the three germ layers has been demonstrated [1,2]. Unlike adult stem cells, perinatal stem cells could be applied either in uterus or postnatally, for birth defects identified during gestation, and, due to their younger age, they will have advantage of carrying fewer environmental induced mutations [3].
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), also known as multipotent stromal cells or mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs), have gained attention in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications ultimately leading to potential tissue repair due to their regenerative capability, multilineage differentiation potential and immuno-modulatory activity [1-4]. MSCs were originally isolated and characterized from bone marrow (BM) [5], but sub-sequently have been derived from almost all postnatal tissues, such as adipose, dental pulp, umbilical cord and cord blood, amniotic fluid, limbal tissue and so on [6-8].
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a significant capacity for self-renewal and differentiation. Activation of MSCs may provide avenues for regenerative medicine due to convenient isolation techniques and immune allorecognition escape [1]. MSCs encompass multipotent cells derived from bone marrow tissue, umbilical cord, and adipose tissue [2].
Craniofacial defects generally cause significant negative impacts on the quality of life and self-esteem of those individuals with musculoskeletal dysfunctionalities. Cleft lip, with or without cleft palate (CL/P), is the most prevalent congenital craniofacial defect caused by disturbed embryonic development of soft and hard tissues around the oral cavity and face area [1].
Currently, the availability of transplantable organs does not meet demand. In the USA, 121,070 people require an organ transplant, however only 2553 were performed in 2015 and approximately 22 people die daily while waiting [1]. A solution to this shortfall is the fabrication of organs by tissue engineering.
In the organism, adult stem cells guarantee the maintenance and repair of tissues and organs. Among them, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are emerging as hopeful candidates for cell-based therapy of numerous diseases (i.e., myocardial infarction, Crohn’s disease, Graft versus host disease, osteoarthritis, etc.) [1,2]. Indeed, along with their differentiation potential and the production of several humoral factors, MSCs are thought to exert regenerative effects by increasing healing rates, modulating inflammation and immune response, promoting angiogenesis, and enhancing tissue remodelling [3].
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are popular cells for regenerative medicine due to their capacity of extensive self-renewal, multilineage differentiation potential, and immunosuppressive effects [1]. Due to their low propor-tion in human tissues, extensive in vitro expansion is necessary to attain sufficient cell numbers for MSCs-based therapies.
Although surgery and medication have achieved tremen-dous progress, cardiovascular diseases still represent the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world [1, 2] and in China. [3] However, the shortage of donor tissues and organs has limited the therapeutic option of end-stage cardiovascular diseases [4].
Although surgery and medication have achieved tremendous progress, cardiovascular diseases still represent the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world [1, 2] and in China. [3] However, the shortage of donor tissues and organs has limited the therapeutic option of end-stage cardiovascular diseases [4].
Liver diseases have been increasing worldwide and are a considered a leading cause of death due to the prevalence of viral induced and other intractable liver diseases as primary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis (Kim et al., 2002; Tanikawa, 1992). Most liver diseases lead to hepatocyte dysfunction with the possibility of eventual organ failure (Sellamuthu et al., 2011).
Many recent studies have demonstrated that the umbilical cord is an excellent source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) [1,2,3].
However, in order to use human umbilical cord Wharton’s jellyderived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) in clinical therapy, a suitable culture procedure for good manufacturing practicecompliant production is mandatory. Nutritional deficiency is the major pathophysiological situation in an ischemic microenvironment in the clinic [4].
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a population of adult stem cells found in most tissues that are characterized by their multipotency and self-renewal capacity. MSCs can differentiate into a wide range of specialized cells such as cardiomyocytes [1], neurons [2], and hepatocytes [3], in addition to adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteocytes [4].
Cell-based medicinal products hold the promise to bring therapeutic alternatives to address unmet medical needs [1–3]. Amongst the diverse cell types that have attracted clinical interest, multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) emerge as strong candidates, with several clinical trials already completed demonstrating an excellent safety profile [4].
Birth of a newborn is universally followed by the division of umbilical cord. The afterbirths are discarded as biological waste and channelized for appropriate disposal. After the successfully proven therapeutic utility of stem cells obtained from bone marrow and peripheral blood, the Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) has emerged as a potentially promising source of stem cells which can be used for hematopoietic reconstitution [1, 2].
The first widespread utilization of cord blood as a stem cell source was in the treatment of pediatric hematological malignancies after myeloablative conditioning. Since matching requirements for this type of transplant are not as strict as for hematopoietic stem cell sources, cord blood began gaining acceptance in adult patients lacking bone marrow donors [1-6].
The first widespread utilization of cord blood as a stem cell source was in the treatment of pediatric hematological malignancies after myeloablative conditioning. Since matching requirements for this type of transplant are not as strict as for hematopoietic stem cell sources, cord blood began gaining acceptance in adult patients lacking bone marrow donors [1-6].
Since the first successful transplantation of umbilical cord blood in 1988 (Gluckman et al., 1989), cord blood has become an accepted source of haemopoietic stem cells for the treatment of leukaemia, haemoglobinopathy and for the repair of bone marrow following high-dose chemotherapy for solid tumours (Laughlin et al., 2004). Recent research has revealed that the cord blood mononuclear fraction is not only a readily available source of haemopoietic stem cells but also neuronal progenitors.
Among the adult stem cells, MSCs are supposed to be the most promising stem cell type for cell-based therapies [1–4]. Compared with less differentiated pluripotent stem cells, in particular embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), MSCs are well tolerated and lack ethical concerns as well as teratoma-formation and histocompatibility issues [5–7] [8, 9].
Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantations (allo-HCT) are increasingly used as a treatment for management of hematologic malignancies, bone marrow failure syndromes, and inborn errors of metabolism [1]. They are often complicated by graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a common cause of non-relapse morbidity and mortality.
In the past 16 years, the field of mesenchymal stem (stromal) cells (MSCs) has progressed at a great pace, as their exceptional characteristics are being unraveled and encouraging data from preclinical and clinical studies accumulate. In this regard, MSC-based treatment is now considered as a promising modality in the therapeutic intervention of various diseases or tissue damage [1].