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Isolation and Characterization of Human Umbilical Cord-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Preterm and Term Infants

Isolation and Characterization of Human Umbilical Cord-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Preterm and Term Infants

Published on: January 26, 2019

The Potentials and Caveats of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Based Therapies in the Preterm Infant

Judith Gronbach^1,2, Tayyab Shahzad^1,2, Sarah Radajewski^1,2

¹Department of General Pediatrics and Neonatology, Justus-Liebig-University, Feulgenstrasse 12, 35392 Gießen, Germany.

Stem Cells International

|May 17, 2018

Insights

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) show therapeutic potential for preterm infants, reducing inflammation in the lungs and brain. Further research is needed to evaluate safety and efficacy before widespread clinical use.

Area of Science:

Neonatal Medicine
Regenerative Medicine
Immunology

Background:

Preterm infants face significant risks from proinflammatory conditions affecting lung, brain, eye, and gut development.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease in preterm infants, leading to lifelong pulmonary and neurodevelopmental issues.
Current therapies for preterm infant morbidities offer limited benefits and can have considerable side effects, with no options for the inflamed brain.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in treating preterm infant morbidities.
To summarize the positive effects of exogenous umbilical cord-derived MSCs on the immature lung and brain.
To discuss the potential of reprogramming resident MSCs and evaluate the progress of MSC-based clinical trials.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on MSCs, inflammation, and preterm infant morbidities.
Analysis of molecular understanding of MSC actions in animal models.
Inclusion of data from early-phase clinical trials on allogeneic MSC transplantation.

Main Results:

MSCs possess anti-inflammatory properties and secrete growth factors beneficial for immature organs.
Exogenous umbilical cord-derived MSCs demonstrate positive effects on the developing lung and brain in preclinical models.
Phase I clinical trials show promising results for allogeneic MSC transplantation from umbilical cord blood.

Conclusions:

MSCs represent a promising therapeutic avenue for preterm infants suffering from inflammatory injuries.
Understanding MSC mechanisms is crucial for optimizing their application in neonatal medicine.
Critical evaluation of remaining challenges is necessary before broad implementation of MSC-based therapies.

Read full analysis

Abstract:

Preponderance of proinflammatory signals is a characteristic feature of all acute and resulting long-term morbidities of the preterm infant. The proinflammatory actions are best characterized for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) which is the chronic lung disease of the preterm infant with lifelong restrictions of pulmonary function and severe consequences for psychomotor development and quality of life. Besides BPD, the immature brain, eye, and gut are also exposed to inflammatory injuries provoked by infection, mechanical ventilation, and oxygen toxicity. Despite the tremendous progress in the understanding of disease pathologies, therapeutic interventions with proven efficiency remain restricted to a few drug therapies with restricted therapeutic benefit, partially considerable side effects, and missing option of applicability to the inflamed brain. The therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs)-also known as mesenchymal stem cells-has attracted much attention during the recent years due to their anti-inflammatory activities and their secretion of growth and development-promoting factors. Based on a molecular understanding, this review summarizes the positive actions of exogenous umbilical cord-derived MSCs on the immature lung and brain and the therapeutic potential of reprogramming resident MSCs. The pathomechanistic understanding of MSC actions from the animal model is complemented by the promising results from the first phase I clinical trials testing allogenic MSC transplantation from umbilical cord blood. Despite all the enthusiasm towards this new therapeutic option, the caveats and outstanding issues have to be critically evaluated before a broad introduction of MSC-based therapies.

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