Melania Lo Iacono

TL;DR: It is described for the first time that these cells, besides expressing all of the core-markers for mesenchymal stem cells, feature also the expression of tolerogenic molecules and markers of all the three main lineages, potentially important for both their differentiative potential as well as immunological features.

TL;DR: Data in the literature strongly suggest that WJ-MSC can differentiate into diverse cell types, showing a unique ability to cross lineage borders, and renders these cells extremely promising for regenerative medicine applications in different pathological settings.

TL;DR: This review illustrates the recent advances made in differentiating human MSC to IPC, and compares the effectiveness of the differentiation protocols applied, the markers and functional assays used to characterize differentiated progeny, and the in vivo controls.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated for the first time that immune-related molecules which have been characterized in undifferentiated MSCs, are also expressed by the differentiated progeny, which strongly suggests that also after the acquisition of a mature phenotype, WJ-MSCs-derived cells may maintain their immune privilege.

TL;DR: UC structural features and the cell types which can be derived are described, with a focus on their phenotype and the novel results which boosted the use of UC-derived cells for regenerative medicine applications.