Title:How Similar are Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Different Origins? A Review of Comparative Studies
Volume: 16
Issue: 8
Author(s): Najmeh Kaffash Farkhad , Ali Mahmoudi and Elahe Mahdipour *
Affiliation:
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad,Iran
Keywords:
Mesenchymal stem cells, angiogenesis, immune regulation, comparative studies, comparison, stem cell profiling.
Abstract: Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are adult multipotent cells with self-renewal
potential and the ability to differentiate into specialized cells. MSCs home in various tissues and
can be isolated using simple methods. Because of this feasibility in the isolation and culture of
MSCs in vitro, many scientists have focused on the therapeutic applications of MSCs for various
diseases and conditions. The selection of the tissue source to obtain MSCs mainly depends on the
availability of the tissue, the patient’s health status, as well as the expertise of the researcher. However,
some studies indicate that MSCs derived from different tissue sources are not the same and
possess different regenerative capacities. Therefore, in this review, we have collected and summarized
the results from studies that have performed head-to-head comparisons between MSCs isolated
from different tissues. Despite the assessment method discrepancy between studies, results
from these studies reveal that MSCs derived from different tissue sources are not the same. Some
such as umbilical cord-derived MSCs and menstrual blood-derived MSCs were identified with robust
angiogenic potentials. However, cord blood-derived MSCs possessed a strong cartilage repair
capacity. Further investigations are required to establish certain capabilities for MSCs derived from
a particular tissue origin. Nevertheless, it is recommended to consider the possibility of functional
variations between MSCs isolated from distinct tissue origins when applying MSCs in clinics.
