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Updated: Jan 6, 2026
Generation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Human Umbilical Cord Tissue and their Differentiation into the Skeletal Muscle Lineage
Published on: August 31, 2022
Comparative Transcriptomic Profiling of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Distinct Tissue Origins and Isolation Methods
Min Ji Lee1,2, Kyungtaek Park3,4, Sungho Won5,6,7,8
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 20 Boramae-ro 5-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, 07061, Korea.
Background:
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow (BM), adipose tissue (AD), and umbilical cord (UC) exhibit therapeutic potential in regenerative medicine. However, their properties, including transcriptomic profiles, vary based on tissue origin, passage stage, and isolation method, complicating their clinical standardization. Addressing these unresolved differences requires comprehensive approaches, such as RNA sequencing, to analyze transcriptomic profiles in detail.
Methods:
In this study, RNA-seq was employed to analyze MSC transcriptomes from BM, AD, and UC tissues. UC MSCs were isolated using enzymatic digestion or the Minimal Cube Explant (MCE) method (smumf cells), and transcriptomes of early (P3-4) and late (P10) passages of smumf cells were compared. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, followed by transcription factor (TF) and pathway analyses.
Results:
Fetal MSCs (UC and smumf cells) exhibited distinct transcriptomic profiles compared to adult MSCs (BM and AD), with 2,208 upregulated and 2,594 downregulated DEGs. Key transcription factors, such as E2F1 and NF-κB1, and pathways, including glycolysis, cholesterol biosynthesis, and TNF-α signaling, were enriched in fetal MSCs. smumf cells demonstrated transcriptomic stability between early and late passages, with only 12 DEGs identified. Additionally, smumf cells showed enhanced innate immune responses and cholesterol metabolism compared to enzymatically isolated UC MSCs.
Conclusion:
This study provides a comprehensive transcriptomic comparison of MSCs, highlighting the superior transcriptional stability, immunomodulatory capacity, and metabolic flexibility of fetal MSCs, particularly smumf cells. These findings underscore their potential as a reliable cell source for therapeutic applications and encourage further exploration of their clinical application.
