Isolation of human mesenchymal stem cells from the umbilical cord.

Objective To isolate the mesenchymal stem cells from human umbilical cords and identify the characteristics of these cells.Method The mesenchymal stem cells of umbilical cords were collected and the cell surface markers were identified by flow cytom.Osteoblast was identified by Alizarin Red S staining;adipocyte was identified by Oil Red O staining.Result Flow cytometry analysis revealed that CD90,CD44,CD105 were expressed on the cell surface,but there was no expression of hematopoietic lineage markers,such as CD34,CD45 and HLA-DR.The assays in vitro demonstrated the cells exhibited multi-potential differentiation into osteogenic and adipogenic cells.Conclusion Mesenchymal stem cells exist in umbilical cord,and umbilical cords may be a novel alternative source of human MSCs for experimental and clinical applications.