How chondrogenic are human umbilical cord matrix cells? A comparison to adipose-derived stem cells

The umbilical cord matrix as well as liposuction material have been demonstrated to contain cells capable of differentiating towards the mesodermal lineage. High availability and low donor site morbidity appear promising for the use of human umbilical cord matrix cells (HUCMs) and adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) in cell-based therapies. In the present study we focused on cartilage regeneration and compared HUCMs and ASCs regarding their potential to differentiate towards the chondrogenic lineage. Cells were isolated by explantation culture or enzymatic digestion, phenotypically characterized by flow cytometry and differentiated as 3D micromass pellets for up to 35 days. Under tested conditions, ASCs demonstrated significantly higher glycosaminoglycan synthesis compared to HUCMs. qRT-PCR data gave evidence that chondrogenic genes are expressed by both ASCs and HUCMs. However, higher expression levels of ASCs suggest that this cell type has higher potential for differentiation towards a cartilage-like phenotype than HUCMs. In conclusion, both cell types, HUCMs and ASCs, are easily available, possess typical properties of mesenchymal stem cells and are thus promising for cell-based therapies. However, in terms of cartilage regeneration, ASCs might be more suitable than HUCMs.