Isolation, propagation, and characterization of human umbilical cord perivascular cells (HUCPVCs)

Current sources of mesenchymal cells, including bone marrow, fat and muscle, all require invasive procurement procedures, and provide relatively low frequencies of progenitors. Here, we describe the non-invasive isolation, and characterization, of a rich source of mesenchymal progenitor cells, which we call human umbilical cord perivascular cells (HUCPVCs). HUCPVCs show a similar immunological phenotype to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs), since they are non-alloreactive, exhibit immunosuppression, and significantly reduce lymphocyte activation, in vitro. They present a non-hematopoietic myofibroblastic mesenchymal phenotype (CD45-, CD34-, CD105+, CD73+, CD90+, CD44+, CD106+, 3G5+, CD146+); with a 1:300 frequency at harvest, a short-doubling time, and a clonogenic frequency of >1:3 in culture. Furthermore, in addition to robust quinti-potential differentiation capacity in vitro, HUCPVCs have been shown to contribute to both musculo-skeletal and dermal wound healing in vivo.