Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells alleviate interstitial fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction in a dilated cardiomyopathy rat model by inhibiting TNF‑α and TGF‑β1/ERK1/2 signaling pathways.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease of the heart characterized by pathological remodeling, including patchy interstitial fibrosis and degeneration of cardiomyocytes. In the present study, the beneficial role of human umbilical cord‑derived mesenchymal stem cells (HuMSCs) derived from Wharton's jelly was evaluated in the myosin‑induced rat model of DCM. Male Lewis rats (aged 8‑weeks) were injected with porcine myosin to induce DCM.

Malignant transformation potentials of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells both spontaneously and via 3-methycholanthrene induction.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) are highly proliferative and can be induced to differentiate into advanced derivatives of all three germ layers. Thus, HUMSCs are considered to be a promising source for cell-targeted therapies and tissue engineering. However there are reports on spontaneous transformation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human bone marrows.