Mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cord tissue: a therapeutic option for multiple sclerosis?

Background: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by ongoing inflammation, demyelination, neuroaxonal damage and glial scar formation. Current immunomodulatory therapeutics limit inflammation but are not able to affect the underlying causes. A potential new therapeutic approach is stem cell transplantation. Animal studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) exert both immunomodulatory and neuroprotective functions in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of MS. The present study aims to investigate the use of MSC derived from umbilical cord tissue (UCMS). The human umbilical cord provides an easy accessible source of cells with potential for tissue repair. In order to test the potential of UCMS for cellular transplantation in MS, their potential to form neural cell types and their immunological properties will be investigated. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate t