Immunosuppressive properties of mesenchymal stromal cells derived from amnion, placenta, Wharton’s jelly and umbilical cord S. Manochantr, 1 Y. U-pratya, 3 P. Kheolamai, 1 S. Rojphisan, 2 M. Chayosumrit, 4 C. Tantrawatpan, 1 A. Supokawej 5 and S. Issaragrisil 3,4 1 Division of Cell Biology, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, 2 Graduate Program in Medical Sciences (Cellular and Molecular Biology), Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand, 3 Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, 4 Siriraj Center of Excellence for Stem Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital and 5 Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand Key words MSC, immunosuppressive, umbilical cord, Wharton’s jelly, placenta, amnion Correspondence Surapol Issaragrisil, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand. Email: surapolsi@gmail.com Received 22 November 2011; accepted 23 October 2012. doi:10.1111/imj.12044 Abstract Background: The role of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSC) in preventing the incidence and ameliorating the severity of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) has recently been reported. However, as the collection of BM-MSC is an invasive procedure, more accessible sources of MSC are desirable. Aim: This study aimed to explore the alternative sources of MSC from amnion, pla- centa, Wharton’s jelly and umbilical cord, which are usually discarded. Methods: MSC from those tissues were isolated using mechanical dissociation and enzymatic digestion. Their capacity for proliferation and differentiation, and ability to suppress alloreactive T-lymphocytes were studied and compared with those of BM-MSC. Results: MSC derived from amnion, placenta, Wharton’s jelly and umbilical cord were similar to BM-MSC regarding the cell morphology, the immunophenotype as well as the differentiation ability. These MSC also elicited a similar degree of immunosuppression, as evidenced by the inhibition of alloreactive T-lymphocytes in the mixed lymphocyte reaction, compared with that of BM-MSC. MSC from umbilical cord and Wharton’s jelly had a higher proliferative capacity, whereas those from amnion and placenta had a lower proliferative capacity compared with BM-MSC. Conclusion: The results obtained from this study suggest that MSC from amnion, placenta, Wharton’s jelly and umbilical cord can therefore be potentially used for substituting BM-MSC in several therapeutic applications, including the treatment of GvHD. Introduction Haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an effective treatment for haematological disorders, includ- ing haematological malignancies, aplastic anaemia and thalassaemia. The success of this treatment relies on the elimination of the patient’s bone marrow by high-dose chemotherapy and/or irradiation, and the reconstitution of the haemopoietic system by the donor haemopoietic stem cells. However, donor cells infused also contain mature T cells that can induce graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a life-threatening complication of allogeneic HSCT. 1 These donor T cells are strongly activated by an alloantigen and infiltrate several target organs such as skin, liver, and the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in tissue destruction. T-cell depletion prior to HSCT can reduce the severity of GvHD, but it leads to increased incidence of severe infection, graft rejection 2 and relapse of haematological malignancies. 3 Thus, a major concern in HSCT is preventing GvHD while minimising the risk of infection. Funding: This study was supported by the Thailand Research Fund (grant no. RTA 488-0007 ), the Commission on Higher Education (grant no. CHERES-RG-49), Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University and Thammasat University. Conflict of interest: None. © 2012 The Authors Internal Medicine Journal © 2012 Royal Australasian College of Physicians 430