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Mesenchymal Stem Cells from the Wharton’s Jelly of the Human Umbilical Cord: Biological Properties and Therapeutic Potential

2019; Volume: 12; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.15283/ijsc18034

2005-5447

Luigi Marino, Maria Antonietta Castaldi, R Rosamilio, Enrico Ragni, Rosa Vitolo, Caterina Fulgione, Salvatore Giovanni Castaldi, Bianca Serio, Rosario Bianco, Maurizio Guida, Carmine Selleri,

Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications

Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) are a class of stem cells with high differentiative potential, an immuno-privileged status and easy access for collection, which raise no legal or ethical issues. WJ-MSCs exhibit several features of embryonic stem cells, both in the phenotypic and genetic aspects, with only a few differences, such as a shorter doubling time and a more extensive ex vivo expansion capacity. WJ-MSCs have immunomodulatory properties, involving both innate and adaptive immune responses. This review focuses on the role of WJ-MSCs in the management of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a life-threatening complication of the allogenic transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells. Different studies documented the beneficial effect of the infusion of WJ-MSCs, even when not fully HLA identical, in patients with severe GvHD, refractory to standard treatment. Finally, we summarized current ongoing clinical trials with WJ-MSCs and their potential in regenerative medicine.