Postpartum cells derived from umbilical cord tissue, and methods of making and using the same

Abstract

Cells derived from human umbilical cords are disclosed along with methods for their therapeutic use. Isolation techniques, culture methods and detailed characterization of the cells with respect to their cell surface markers, gene expression, and their secretion of trophic factors are described.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 877,012, filed Jun. 25, 2004, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 483,264, filed Jun. 27, 2003, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated by reference herein. This also claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 639,088, filed Dec. 23, 2004, the entirety of which is also herein incorporated by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to mammalian, preferably human, cell therapy, and more particularly to isolated cells derived from postpartum umbilicus, methods of deriving such cells, and methods of their use and growth on various media, including media which are serum-containing or serum-free. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] As the modern understanding of disease has advanced, the potential utility of cell therapy for improving the prognosis of those afflicted has resulted in increased intere...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0033] Methods are provided of inducing the cells to differentiate along a pathway towards progenitors of various cells, or even into terminally differentiated cells themselves. Such cells have utility for therapeutic treatment of certain conditions, disorders and disease states. Such cells also have utility for diagnostic protocols, such as for use in assays to identify therapeutic agents.

Problems solved by technology

As such, the method did not distinguish the desired cells from the different cell types present in Wharton's Jelly, but rather relied on migration from the tissue or selecting growth conditions favoring prechondrocytes.

In spite of the advantages of including bovine serum (or serum of other species), there are, however, a number of disadvantages to supplementing medium with animal serum instead of using chemically-defined or serum-free media when culturing therapeutic cells or producing biologics.

Further, lot-to-lot variation in composition of serum, including in the stimulatory proteins and any inhibitory substances requires time consuming and expensive pre-testing to ensure each batch meets the standards for therapeutic product development or production.

Finally, increased concerns about the transmission of diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) from the use of animal-related products may ultimately retard or preclude FDA approval of cell-based therapies developed with foreign serum.

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