Umbilical cord
The umbilical cord lining is a good source of mesenchymal and epithelial stem cells, and may be preserved along with the umbilical cord blood and other perinatal tissues including the amnion and exosomes derived from the plasma in the umbilical cord blood. The leading companies in this space include Celularity, LifebankUSA and Americord Registry. Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSC) have been used clinically to treat osteoarthritis, autoimmune diseases, and multiple other conditions. Their advantages include a better harvesting, and multiplication, and immunosuppressive properties that define their potential for use in transplantations. Their use would also overcome the ethical objections raised by the use of embryonic stem cells.