Low Passage Mesenchymal Stem Cell Cell Bank from Cadaveric Vertebral Bodies
Description
Allogeneic bone marrow is a source of mesenchymal stem cells, which can be expanded in culture and banked for therapeutic use for a variety of inflammatory conditions. Since most cell banks have been created from relatively small volume bone marrow aspirates, creation of a cell bank suitable for therapeutic use requires significant cell expansion in culture. There is a growing appreciation that expansion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can result in chromosomal abnormalities and loss of optimal anti-inflammatory function. Cadaveric vertebral bodies are a rich source of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) which have been used clinically in solid organ transplantation to promote engraftment of solid tissues from the same donor. Vertebral bone fragments, a byproduct of the preparation of BMMC, can be subjected to enzymatic digestion to release large numbers of MSC which can be rapidly expanded in a bioreactor without recourse to serial passage.
