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Adult Stem Cell Therapies: Alternatives to Plasticity pp 35–51Cite as

Cord Blood Stem Cells

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Part of the book series: Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine ((STEMCELL))

Abstract

Several stem and progenitor cells (SPCs) have been identified in human umbilical cord blood (UCB), bringing these unique cells as an important target for multitude experimental and clinical studies. Cord blood represents not only a rich source of applicable hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) involved in hematopoietic and immunological system reconstitution but also an important reservoir of heterogeneous fraction of non-HSCs that may be utilized in regeneration of other tissue types. Such primitive SPCs belonging to non-hematopoietic compartment of UCB have been already described by several investigators and may include: very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs), endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), human UCB-neural stem cells (HUCB-NSC), unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSC), mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), multilineage progenitor cells, and other progenitor fractions. In some cases, vast similarities observed between those populations may indicate their possible fenotypic and functional overlap. In fact, some of non-hematopoietic UCB-derived SPCs may represent related fractions of primitive cells, but identified by various distinct experimental methods and protocols and eventually described as different populations.

UCB-derived non-HSC populations have been characterized according to their morphology, immunophenotype as well as proliferation and differentiation potentials. The biological immaturity, the ability to produce large quantities of homogeneous cells and to differentiate into a variety of specialized cell types, indicate the UCB-SPCs as suitable source of cells for cell-based therapies, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering. Moreover, in case of human clinical specimens, UCB may be an alternative stem cell source that is ethically acceptable and easily available. This chapter focuses and summarizes the characteristics of selected human UCB-derived non-hematopoietic SPCs and their potential use for tissue and cell regeneration.

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Acknowledgments

Supported by the European Union structural funds, Innovative Economy Operational Programme, grant No. POIG 01.02-00-109/09 “Innovative methods of stem cells applications in medicine” and Team grant (TEAM/2012-9/6) from the Foundation for Polish Science to EZS.3.6.

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  1. Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 7 Gronostajowa St., 30-387, Krakow, Poland

    Marta Adamiak, Zbigniew Madeja & Ewa K. Zuba-Surma PhD, DSc

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  1. Marta Adamiak
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  2. Zbigniew Madeja
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  3. Ewa K. Zuba-Surma PhD, DSc
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Correspondence to Ewa K. Zuba-Surma PhD, DSc .

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  1. University of Louisville, Stem Cell Institute, James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Louisville, Kentucky, USA

    Mariusz Z. Ratajczak

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Adamiak, M., Madeja, Z., Zuba-Surma, E. (2014). Cord Blood Stem Cells. In: Ratajczak, M. (eds) Adult Stem Cell Therapies: Alternatives to Plasticity. Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1001-4_3

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