The Therapeutic Potential, Challenges and Future Clinical Directions of Stem Cells from the Wharton’s Jelly of the Human Umbilical Cord

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from bone marrow, adult organs and fetuses face the disadvantages of invasive isolation, limited cell numbers and ethical constraints while embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) face the clinical hurdles of potential immunorejection and tumorigenesis respectively. These challenges have prompted interest in the study and evaluation of stem cells from birth-associated tissues. The...