Human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly as a source of mesenchymal progenitors capable of expressing a functional osteogenic phenotype in vitro.
Published: 2004
Language: eng
Number of pages: 107
Description: One of the most important challenges in the development of cell-based therapies, including those of the emerging field of tissue engineering, is to find a source of useful cells. Solutions are not readily available when addressing the need to reconstitute the connective tissues of the body. Yet it is these tissues, bone, cartilage etc., which are increasingly needed as connective tissue degenerative diseases become a more significant problem with the increasing aged population. Thus, there is an acute need to find a practical and simple source of connective tissue cells for such applications.The work represented here has clearly demonstrated a unique population of cells which can be easily isolated from Wharton's jelly, the tissue surrounding the vessels of the human umbilical cord. Among these cells, which are not from the blood, but from the connective tissue of the cord, are a sub-population which is able to rapidly form human bone matrix in cell culture. The cell isolation procedure is novel, the harvested cells proliferate and differentiate rapidly compared to existing sources of connective tissue progenitors and, the results show that the cells presenting neither class of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens can be enriched for by cryopreservation. Thus, this unique cell population may represent a significant alternative source of cells for allogeneic cell-based therapies and tissue engineering.
Notes: Adviser:  J. E. Davies.

Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Toronto, 2004.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, page: 2262.

MICR copy on microfiche (2 microfiches).