Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) are isolated from Wharton's jelly tissue of umbilical cords. They possess the ability to differentiate into lineage cells of three germ layers. WJ-MSCs have robust proliferative ability and strong immune modulation capacity. They can be easily collected and there are no ethical problems associated with their use. Therefore, WJ-MSCs have great tissue engineering value and clinical application prospects. The identity and functions of WJ-MSCs are regulated by multiple interrelated regulatory mechanisms, including transcriptional regulation and epigenetic modifications. In this article, we summarize the latest research progress on the genetic/epigenetic regulation mechanisms and essential signaling pathways that play crucial roles in pluripotency and differentiation of WJ-MSCs.
Keyphrases
- umbilical cord
- mesenchymal stem cells
- stem cells
- tissue engineering
- induced apoptosis
- signaling pathway
- bone marrow
- transcription factor
- cell therapy
- dna methylation
- gene expression
- genome wide
- pi k akt
- cell cycle arrest
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- copy number
- cell proliferation
- decision making
- single cell
- epithelial mesenchymal transition
- solar cells