Comparison of Biological Characteristics of Human Umbilical Cord Wharton’s Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Extremely Preterm and Term Infants

• Published in: Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Vol. 20; no. 5; pp. 725 - 737
• Main Authors: Huang, Peng, Qin, Xiaofei, Fan, Chuiqin, Wang, Manna, Chen, Fuyi, Liao, Maochuan, Zhong, Huifeng, Wang, Hongwu, Ma, Lian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 01.08.2023
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Cell Biology; Life Sciences; Original Article; Regenerative Medicine/Tissue Engineering; Stem Cells; Neonatal diseases; Cell injury; TGFβ1; HUMSCs; HUVECs; Extremely preterm infants
• ISSN: 1738-2696; 2212-5469
• DOI: 10.1007/s13770-023-00538-9

Background: Despite the progress in perinatal-neonatal medicine, complications of extremely preterm infants continue to constitute the major adverse outcomes in neonatal intensive care unit. Human umbilical cord Wharton’s Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) may offer new hope for the treatment of intractable neonatal disorders. This study will explore the functional differences of HUMSCs between extremely preterm and term infants. Methods: UMSCs from 5 extremely preterm infants(weeks of gestation: 22 +5 w,24 +4 w,25 +3 w,26 w,28 w) and 2 term infants(39 w,39 +2 w) were isolated, and mesenchymal markers, pluripotent genes, proliferation rate were analyzed. HUVECs were injured by treated with LPS and repaired by co-cultured with HUMSCs of different gestational ages. Results: All HUMSCs showed fibroblast-like adherence to plastic and positively expressed surface marker of CD105,CD73 and CD90, but did not expressed CD45,CD34,CD14,CD79a and HLA-DR; HUMSCs in extremely preterm exhibited significant increase in proliferation as evidenced by CCK8, pluripotency markers OCT-4 tested by RT-PCR also showed increase. Above all, in LPS induced co-cultured inflame systerm, HUMSCs in extremely preterm were more capable to promote wound healing and tube formation in HUVEC cultures, they promoted TGFβ1 expression and inhibited IL6 expression. Conclusions: Our results suggest that HUMSCs from extremely preterm infants may be more suitable as candidates in cell therapy for the preterm infants.