Author(s)

Mao Pang¹, Shiqian Han², Meng Ren¹, Dongwei Guan¹, Tianying Kuang¹, Shuixia Liu³, Yesong Liu⁴, Jieping Chen⁵, Fengchao Wang⁶, Chunmeng Shi⁷, Zhijia Ye^1,2*

¹Laboratory Animal Research Center, Chongqing University School of Medicine, Chongqing, China.
²Department of Tropical Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
³Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical Center, Chongqing, China.
⁴Cornell University, Ithaca, USA.
⁵Department of Hematology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
⁶State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
⁷State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Rocket Force Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a current major source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for cell transplantation therapy. Cell transplantation with HSCs derived from UCB is advantageous over transplantation with HSCs from adult tissues. However, the low number of HSC derived from a single unit of UCB limits its application. Thus, ex vivo expansion is a good option to create more UCB HSCs for clinical application. The strategies for HSC expansion in vitro focus on mimicking the composition and structure of HSC natural niche by enhancing self-renewal and inhibiting lineage differentiation of HSCs. In the past decade, the mechanisms of the interaction between HSC and the natural niche have been deeply investigated. This great progress in basic research has led to advancements in UCB HSC ex vivo expansion. In addition, the biological characteristics of the originally isolated UCB HSCs correlate with outcome of subsequent ex vivo expansion. In this paper, we summarize the late progress achieved in isolation and ex vivo expansion of UCB HSCs. Importantly, we attempt to provide an impact and practicable procedure to expand UCB HSC in vitro from isolation of original HSCs to identification of expanded HSCs.

Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Isolation, Ex Vivo Expansion

Pang, M. , Han, S. , Ren, M. , Guan, D. , Kuang, T. , Liu, S. , Liu, Y. , Chen, J. , Wang, F. , Shi, C. and Ye, Z. (2021) Isolation and Ex Vivo Expansion of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells Derived from Umbilical Cord Blood. Stem Cell Discovery, 11, 1-13. doi: 10.4236/scd.2021.111001.