Human umbilical cord mesenchymal cells and the treatment of bronchopulmonary dysplasia

The human umbilical cord is a promising abundant source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Compare to other MSCs, the advantages of human umbilical cord MSCs (hUC-MSCs) are easily accessible and they have a short amplification time, high proliferation rate, lower immunogenicity, and abundance. Many studies have shown that hUC-MSCs have the ability to differentiate into three germ layers, to accumulate in damaged tissue or inflamed regions, to promote tissue repair, and to modulate immune response. Thus, they are attractive human cell–based therapies for the treatment of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic stroke, neuron degenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, etc.