Comparative Analysis of Wharton’s Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cell (WJ-MSCs) Isolated Using Explant and Enzymatic Methods

A GMP-compliant manufacturing method for Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells

BACKGROUND

Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) hold great therapeutic potential in regenerative medicine. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant methodology for the isolation and culture of WJ-MSCs. Through comprehensive research, encompassing laboratory-scale experiments to pilot-scale studies, we aimed to develop standardized protocols ensuring the high yield and quality of WJ-MSCs manufacturing.

METHODS

Firstly, optimization of parameters for the enzymatic digestion method used to isolate WJ-MSCs was conducted. These parameters included enzyme concentrations, digestion times, seeding densities, and culture media. Additionally, a comparative analysis between the explant method and the enzymatic digestion method was performed. Subsequently, the consecutive passaging of WJ-MSCs, specifically up to passage 9, was evaluated using the optimized method. Finally, manufacturing processes were developed and scaled up, starting from laboratory-scale flask-based production and progressing to pilot-scale cell factory-based production. Furthermore, a stability study was carried out to assess the storage and use of drug products (DPs).

RESULTS

The optimal parameters for the enzymatic digestion method were a concentration of 0.4 PZ U/mL Collagenase NB6 and a digestion time of 3 h, resulting in a higher yield of P0 WJ-MSCs. In addition, a positive correlation between the weight of umbilical cord tissue and the quantities of P0 WJ-MSCs has been observed. Evaluation of different concentrations of human platelet lysate revealed that 2% and 5% concentrations resulted in similar levels of cell expansion. Comparative analysis revealed that the enzymatic digestion method exhibited faster outgrowth of WJ-MSCs compared to the explant method during the initial passage. Passages 2 to 5 exhibited higher viability and proliferation ability throughout consecutive passaging. Moreover, scalable manufacturing processes from the laboratory scale to the pilot scale were successfully developed, ensuring the production of high-quality WJ-MSCs. Multiple freeze-thaw cycles of the DPs led to reduced cell viability and viable cell concentration. Subsequent thawing and dilution of the DPs resulted in a significant decrease in both metrics, especially when stored at 20-27 °C.

CONCLUSION

This study offers valuable insights into optimizing the isolation and culture of WJ-MSCs. Our scalable manufacturing processes facilitate the large-scale production of high-quality WJ-MSCs. These findings contribute to the advancement of WJ-MSCs-based therapies in regenerative medicine.

Carbonised Human Hair Incorporated in Agar/KGM Bioscaffold for Tissue Engineering Application: Fabrication and Characterisation

Carbon derived from biomass waste usage is rising in various fields of application due to its availability, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability, but it remains limited in tissue engineering applications. Carbon derived from human hair waste was selected to fabricate a carbon-based bioscaffold (CHAK) due to its ease of collection and inexpensive synthesis procedure. The CHAK was fabricated via gelation, rapid freezing, and ethanol immersion and characterised based on their morphology, porosity, Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR), tensile strength, swelling ability, degradability, electrical conductivity, and biocompatibility using Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs). The addition of carbon reduced the porosity of the bioscaffold. Via FTIR analysis, the combination of carbon, agar, and KGM was compatible. Among the CHAK, the 3HC bioscaffold displayed the highest tensile strength (62.35 ± 29.12 kPa). The CHAK also showed excellent swelling and water uptake capability. All bioscaffolds demonstrated a slow degradability rate (<50%) after 28 days of incubation, while the electrical conductivity analysis showed that the 3AHC bioscaffold had the highest conductivity compared to other CHAK bioscaffolds. Our findings also showed that the CHAK bioscaffolds were biocompatible with WJMSCs. These findings showed that the CHAK bioscaffolds have potential as bioscaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

A chemically defined biomimetic surface for enhanced isolation efficiency of high-quality human mesenchymal stromal cells under xenogeneic/serum-free conditions

BACKGROUND AIMS

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are one of the most frequently used cell types in regenerative medicine and cell therapy. Generating sufficient cell numbers for MSC-based therapies is constrained by (i) their low abundance in tissues of origin, which imposes the need for significant ex vivo cell expansion; (ii) donor-specific characteristics, including MSC frequency/quality, that decline with disease state and increasing age; and (iii) cellular senescence, which is promoted by extensive cell expansion and results in decreased therapeutic functionality. The final yield of a manufacturing process is therefore primarily determined by the applied isolation procedure and its efficiency in isolating therapeutically active cells from donor tissue. To date, MSCs are predominantly isolated using media supplemented with either serum or its derivatives, which poses safety and consistency issues.

METHODS

To overcome these limitations while enabling robust MSC production with constant high yield and quality, the authors developed a chemically defined biomimetic surface coating called isoMATRIX (denovoMATRIX GmbH, Dresden, Germany) and tested its performance during isolation of MSCs.

RESULTS

The isoMATRIX facilitates the isolation of significantly higher numbers of MSCs in xenogeneic (xeno)/serum-free and chemically defined conditions. The isolated cells display a smaller cell size and higher proliferation rate than those derived from a serum-containing isolation procedure and a strong immunomodulatory capacity. The high proliferation rates can be maintained up to 5 passages after isolation and cells even benefit from a switch towards a proliferation-specific MSC matrix (myMATRIX MSC) (denovoMATRIX GmbH, Dresden, Germany).

CONCLUSION

In sum, isoMATRIX promotes enhanced xeno/serum-free and chemically defined isolation of human MSCs and supports consistent and reliable cell performance for improved stem cell-based therapies.

Impact of donor nutritional balance on the growth and development of mesenchymal stem cells from caprine umbilical cord Wharton´s jelly

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from the umbilical cord (UC) have aroused considerable interest. However, little is known about the maternal effect on these cells. The aim of this study was to verify the impact of the nutritional status of donor goats on the growth and differentiation of MSCs from the UC. At parturition, 19 goats were grouped based on their low or high body mass index (low BMI, LBMI, n = 9; and high BMI, HBMI, n = 10). UCs were collected during delivery and Wharton's jelly (WJ) fragments cultured. WJ-MSCs were differentiated into osteocytes, adipocytes, chondrocytes, and the population doubling time (PDT) was determined. Samples of WJ-MSCs were also used to verify the expression of the CD90, CD73, CD34, CD45, and CD105 genes. Media used for WJ-MSC primary cultures were analyzed using near-infrared spectroscopy. The lag phase was 7.5 ± 0.6 days and the entire culture took 26.7 ± 1.3 days, with a cell proliferation rate of 8.500 cells/day. The mean PDT from subculture was 30.0 ± 0.7 h. The CD105 gene was sub-expressed in LBMI, and the spectra of the spent media from the second to fourth day of WJ-MSC primary culture were segregated into negative scores by multivariate analysis. We conclude that, in goats, the nutritional balance of the donor did not affect the in vitro growth of MSCs derived from the UC. However, the molecular profile observed in the low BMI group suggests that the use of MSCs for therapeutic purposes should be considered more carefully.

Regenerative potential of Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells: A new horizon of stem cell therapy

Umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) have recently gained considerable attention in the field of regenerative medicine. Their high proliferation rate, differentiation ability into various cell lineages, easy collection procedure, immuno-privileged status, nontumorigenic properties along with minor ethical issues make them an ideal approach for tissue repair. Besides, the number of WJ-MSCs in the umbilical cord samples is high as compared to other sources. Because of these properties, WJ-MSCs have rapidly advanced into clinical trials for the treatment of a wide range of disorders. Therefore, this paper summarized the current preclinical and clinical studies performed to investigate the regenerative potential of WJ-MSCs in neural, myocardial, skin, liver, kidney, cartilage, bone, muscle, and other tissue injuries.