Stem cells are a type of undifferentiated cells in embryonic or adult tissues, which are capable of self-renewing and differentiating into various cells.
Mesenchymal stem cells are a type of adult stem cells under extensive clinical investigation and can be obtained from various tissues such as bone marrow, adipose and umbilical cord.
Compared to MSCs from other sources, human umbilical cord MSCs (ucMSCs) possess unique capabilities of self-renewal and multipotency. i.e. differentiation into adipose, bone, cartilage, neuron and hepatic cells. Besides, ucMSCs has unique immuno-modulatory functions. All these unique features enable ucMSCs to be of important clinical value.