Stem cell therapies offer a great promise for regenerative and reconstructive medicine, due to their self-renewal and differentiation capacity. Although embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, their utilization involves embryo destruction and is ethically controversial. Therefore, adult tissues that have emerged as an alternative source of stem cells and perinatal tissues, such as the umbilical cord, appear to be particularly attractive. Wharton's jelly, a gelatinous connective tissue contained in the umbilical cord, is abundant in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that express CD105, CD73, CD90, Oct-4, Sox-2, and Nanog among others, and have the ability to differentiate into osteogenic, adipogenic, chondrogenic, and other lineages. Moreover, Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs (WJ-MSCs) do not express MHC-II and exhibit immunomodulatory properties, which makes them a good alternative for allogeneic and xenogeneic transplantations in cellular therapies. Therefore, umbilical cord, especially Wharton's jelly, is a promising source of mesenchymal stem cells.

Department of Anatomy Poznan University of Medical Sciences 60 781 Poznan Poland

Department of Histology and Embryology Poznan University of Medical Sciences 60 781 Poznan Poland

Department of Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology Poznan University of Medical Sciences 60 535 Poznan Poland

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University Hospital and Masaryk University 602 00 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Obstetrics and Women's Diseases Poznan University of Medical Sciences 60 535 Poznan Poland

Department of Periodontology Dental Research Division Guarulhos University Guarulhos 07023 070 São Paulo Brazil

Department of Toxicology Poznan University of Medical Sciences 61 631 Poznan Poland

Department of Veterinary Surgery Institute of Veterinary Medicine Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun 87 100 Torun Poland

Division of Anatomy and Histology University of Zielona Góra 65 046 Zielona Góra Poland

Division of Histology and Embryology Department of Human Morphology and Embryology Wroclaw Medical University 50 368 Wroclaw Poland

Division of Perinatology and Women's Diseases Poznan University of Medical Sciences 60 535 Poznan Poland

Physiology Graduate Program North Carolina State University Raleigh NC 27695 USA

School of Medicine Medical Sciences and Nutrition University of Aberdeen Aberdeen AB25 2ZD UK

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Vascular Remodeling of Clinically Used Patches and Decellularized Pericardial Matrices Recellularized with Autologous or Allogeneic Cells in a Porcine Carotid Artery Model