Ischemic brain injury: a consortium analysis of key factors involved in mesenchymal stem cell-mediated inflammatory reduction.

Increasing global birth rate, coupled with the aging population surviving into their eighth decade has lead to increased incidence diseases, hitherto designated as rare. Brain related ischemia, at birth, or later in life, during, for example stroke, is increasing in global prevalence. Reactive microglia can contribute to neuronal damage as well as compromising transplantion.

Neurogenic properties and a clinical relevance of multipotent stem cells derived from cord blood samples stored in the biobanks.

Several innovative therapies with human umbilical cord blood stem cells (SCs) are currently developing to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases. It has been shown that cord blood contains multipotent lineage-negative (LinNEG) SCs capable of neuronal differentiation. Clinically useful cord blood samples are stored in different biobanks worldwide, but the content and neurogenic properties of LinNEG cells are unknown.

Defined serum-free culturing conditions for neural tissue engineering of human cord blood stem cells.

Taking tissue engineering applications into clinical trials requires the development of efficient and safe protocols incorporated with effective 3-dimensional cell culturing and differentiation systems in order to develop transplantable tissues that may offer a life-line for patients in the future. Cord blood, which is perhaps the most abundant world stem cell source, has shown previously practical and ethical advantages over other stem cells sources in many research and clinical applications including regenerative medicine. We previously developed a three-step protocol for isolation, expansion and sequential neuronal differentiation of cord blood pluripotent stem cells (characterized with our unique triple immunocytochemisty scheme for Oct-4, Sox-2 and Nanog) in defined serum-free culturing conditions.