Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy

Abstract

Isolation and Characteristics of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from Different Parts of Placenta

Ekaterina Semenova, Zbigniew R Mrowiec, Eugeniusz K Machaj, Magdalena Murzyn, Katarzyna Borg, Dariusz Boruczkowski and Tomasz Ołdak

Placenta performs the following functions: protection, nutrition, respiration, hormone production and excretion. As it is a great source of different cells, we are more and more interested to isolate them from the placenta. Cells can be harvested by non-invasive methods and without any ethical concerns. Due to its structure placenta contains Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) of maternal and fetal origin. To make the selection easy, in our experiment we only used placentas from women who gave birth to boys. We used two methods to isolate MSCs (CD - collagenase digestion and MC - mechanical cut) from different parts of the placenta: amnion, chorion, villi and deciduae basalis. MSCs were of CD73⁺, CD90⁺, CD105⁺, CD 14^-, CD19^-, CD34^-, CD45^-, HLA^-DR^- cell surface phenotype, adherent and capable to differentiate into osteocytes, adipocytes, chondrocytes. These data fulfilled minimal characterization criteria of MSCs.
We can isolate fetal and maternal MSCs from placenta. The origin of isolated cells was tested with the use of Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH). MSCs isolated from the same placenta from one tissue can show different origins, for example, MSCs from chorion isolated by MC show maternal origin, but MSCs from the same amnion isolated using another method (CD) show fetal origin.
A placenta mostly consists of fetal-derived cells. However, close contact between fetal (amnion, chorion and villi) and maternal (deciduae basalis) parts is responsible for presence of the maternal cells in the fetal part and fetal cells in the maternal part of a placenta. Isolation of pure: maternal or fetal MSCs from the placental tissue allows better characterization of MSC-based product for clinical purposes. If we are able to produce a pure population of maternal MSCs, we will gain the ability to apply a more personalized therapy for the mother.