MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS FROM UMBILICAL CORD CONNECTIVE TISSUE (WHARTON’S JELLY)

Biohellenika has developed the technology and now provides the parents the storage of the maximum number of mesenchymal stem cells from the umbilical cord. By this method all mesenchymal stem cells of the umbilical cord are stored and therefore no cellular proliferation will be needed in the future, which would be applied if the number of stem cells was not enough, with an extra cost.

Stem cell banks use two ways for cryopreservation of mesenchymal stem cells: cryopreservation of  umbilical cord  segments or cryopreservation of stem cells after isolation  from the tissue. Cell proliferation is not desirable for any type of stem cells either for hematopoietic or for mesenchymal stem cells.  International standards dictate minimum manipulations on the cells and cell proliferation leads to the formation of less pluripotant cells.

Stem cell banks use two ways for cryopreservation of mesenchymal stem cells: cryopreservation of umbilical cord segments or cryopreservation of stem cells after isolation  from the tissue.

The Research and Development Department of Hellenic National Research Foundation (TAK EIE) and Biohellenika evaluated both ways and reached the decision that the primary cryopreservation of stem cells after their isolation from the tissue is preferable to the cryopreservation of whole segments. This decision was reached due to the fact that until today no safe method of cryopreservation of tissues or organs has been described that gives post thaw viable tissues or organs. Cryopreserving tissues, cause only the upper layers of  cells to be preserved and not the interior and as a result the number of viable cells post thaw is small and the sample needs cellular proliferation. The umbilical cord tissue includes mainly mesenchymal cells and few with no value, mature migrated blood cells. So the preservation is performed only for the mesenchymal cells.

According to our experience, the mesenchymal cells of the tissue of the umbilical cord preserve the markers of primary cell up to the six first passages. From there and later they react as mature cells with limited potential to evolve.

For all the above reasons we chose from the beginning to provide the parents with the entire service, cells cryopreservation, and did not take into consideration the extra cost and time that this method of cryopreservation requires.

The mesenchymal stem cells of the umbilical cord tissue are used along with hematopoietic stem cells in allogenic transplantations, due to the fact that the percentage of rejection declines, while the percentage of histocompatibility in the family rises.

This potential is due to the reduction of the patient’s immune system activation and for this reason mesenchymal stem cells are  recommended in autologous applications for the immune system diseases. Furthermore they are experimentally used in tissue regeneration  and as vehicles for drugs administration directly into organs that other ways are difficult to reach them, like  the brain. This use protects our body from the side effects of  the drugs, when administered intravenously, and raises the concentration of the drug into the  diseased organ.

This service added to the classical collection of umbilical cord, by umbilical cord vein puncture and placenta drainage, provides the family with the total number of hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells that can be collected during the labor. Given the fact that stem cells of umbilical cord and placenta are superior in quality than any other source of stem cells, Biohellenika provides the child and the family  the greatest  quantity and quality of stem cells.

The president of the Scientific Council of Biohellenika

K Kouzi – Koliakou MD, PhD