The object of the paper is to show the heterogeneity of 300 cord samples processed in the current research. The differences in effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) isolation are shown. Moreover, the recommendations for choosing the method of MSC isolation depending on the value of stromal-vascular rate are given. The data can be useful for selecting the optimal conditions to obtain MSC and for further cryopreservation of umbilical cord tissue.

Aim. The classic detachment techniques lead to changes in cells properties. We offer a simple method of cultivating the population of cells that avoided an influence on the surface structures. Methods. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from human umbilical cord matrix were obtained and cultivated in standard conditions. While substituting the culture media by a fresh portion, the conditioned culture medium, where the cells were maintained for three days, was transferred to other culture flacks with addition of serum and growth factors. Results. In the flacks, one day after medium transfer, we observed attached cells with typical MSC morphology. The cultures originated from these cells had the same rate of surface markers expression and clonogenic potential as those replated by standard methods. Conclusions. MSC culture, derived by preserving the cells with reduced attachment ability, actually has the properties of «parent» passage. Using this method with accepted techniques of cells reseeding would allow maintaining the cells that avoided an impact on the cell surface proteins

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are ideal candidates for cell-based therapy aimed at tissue repair and immunomodulation. Aim. to study the survival of transplanted human MSCs from umbilical cord Wharton’s Jelly (hWJ-MSCs) in the animal model of experimental osteoarthritis (OA) in rats after injecting cells into a knee joint and to explore the effect of collagen scaffold on the cell survival in vivo. Methods. MSC isolation and cultivation in vitro. Immunological phenotyping of propagated hWJ-MSCs was performed by flow cytometry. The retention of transplanted cells was studied by the PCR revealing of human specific sequences in genomic DNA extracted from animal tissues. Results. hWJ-MSCs, both individual and grown on scaffold, were used and it was shown by PCR that human alpha-satellite DNA was detected on the first day in the immunocompetent OA animals inside the injured knee joint. In the collagen matrix (in the model of subcutaneous implantation) human alpha-satellite DNA was detected on the 5th day but was not detected on the 12th day. Conclusions. According to the PCR results, hWJ-MSCs survived in the OA animal model for a short period. Collagenic scaffold increased the residence time of donor cells in the recipients. hWJ-MSCs may be considered as a perspective cell source for the treatment of OA in human.\u

Ischemic stroke is the second leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability worldwide. So far, promising experimental data have been obtained regarding the elimination of neurological dysfunction and the reduction of the area of ischemic damage when using mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Purpose: to characterize the influence of MSCs of different origin, MSC lysate of human Wharton cells and citicoline on the dynamics of destructive changes in the somatosensory cortex of rats with acute cerebrovascular accident according to light microscopy and micromorphometry data. Materials and methods. An experiment was performed using 190 -4-month-old male Wistar rats weighing 160-190 g, which were subjected to transient bilateral 20-minute ischemia-reperfusion (IR) of the internal carotid arteries. After modeling the pathology, the animals were injected into the femoral vein with obtained from human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly-derived MSCs, human and rat adipose tissue-derived MSCs at a dose of 106 cells/animal. Other groups of experimental animals were intravenously injected with fetal rat fibroblasts at a dose of 106 cells/animal in 0.2 ml of physiological solution and lysate of human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly-derived MSCs at a dose of 0.2 ml/animal. Control animals were injected IV with 0.2 ml of physiological solution. The last group of rats received a single dose of the reference drug citicoline at a dose of 250 mg/kg. The studies were conducted on the 7th and 14th day. In the somatosensory cortex, the total number of neuron nuclei per 1 mm2 was counted, and the ratio of the number of intact neuron nuclei and nuclei with pathological changes (karyorrhexis and karyopyknosis) was also determined. Results: The transplantation of stem cells, lysate of human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly-derived MSCs, or citicoline contributed to an increase in the number of neurons with nuclei in the somatosensory cortex, as well as an increase in the number of nuclei that did not undergo pathological changes. The transplantation of human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly-derived MSCs had the most positive effect. The number of neuron nuclei in 1 mm2 that did not undergo pathological changes in the somatosensory cortex in this group of animals approached the number of nuclei in the group of pseudo-operated animals, while the number of nuclei that did not undergo pathological changes significantly exceeded the number of nuclei with signs of destruction. Conclusion: A significant increase in the number of neurons without signs of pathological changes was observed in all experimental groups of rats during the simulation of ischemic brain damage after the introduction of various types of studied mesenchymal stromal cells, lysate or citicoline. The most positive result in the somatosensory cortex was achieved after the introduction of human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly-derived MSCs.

Mesenchymal stem cells are the most promising regenerative medicine tool for the treatment of various diseases, including liver disease, although the exact mechanism of their therapeutic action remains unclear. It was found that MSCs are captured by the lungs after systemic transplantation, quickly disappear, and are not detected at the site of injury, but at the same time exhibit an obvious therapeutic effect. Comparison of the MSC efficiency depending on the route of their administration may shed light on the mechanisms involved in the implementation of MSC therapeutic potential. In this work, we compared the therapeutic effects of human umbilical cord MSCs (hUC-MSCs) administered systemically and intraperitoneally in the form of MSCs encapsulated in alginate capsules in a CCl ₄ -induced model of liver cirrhosis in rats. Our study showed that both treatments resulted in liver recovery. MSC transplantation by two different routes led to a decrease in collagen deposition, the disappearance of the fibrous area by the 13 ^th week, and normalization of the morphometric parameters of liver parenchyma cells. The expression of some genes (EGF, alpha SMA, GFAP) which is activated in liver injury, decreased to the level observed in negative control animals. However, a detailed study of liver recovery in dynamics showed that encapsulated MSCs led to faster normalization in several parameters of the liver tissue. Our results showed that human umbilical cord MSCs effectively exhibit their therapeutic properties when using both methods of transplantation, however, intraperitoneal administration of encapsulated MSCs accelerated the process of liver regeneration.