The effects of culture conditions on the functionality of efficiently obtained mesenchymal stromal cells from human cord blood

Abstract Background aims Cord blood (CB) is an attractive source of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) because of its abundant availability and ease of collection. However, the success rate of generating CB-MSCs is low. In this study, our aim was to demonstrate the efficiency of our previously described method to obtain MSCs from CB and further characterize them and to study the effects of different culture conditions on MSCs. Methods CB-MSC cultures were established in low oxygen (3%) conditions on fibronectin in 10% fetal bovine serum containing culture medium supplemented with combinations of growth factors. Cells were characterized for their adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation capacity; phenotype; and HOX gene expression profile. The functionality of the cells cultured in different media was tested in vitro with angiogenesis and T-cell proliferation assays. Results We demonstrate 87% efficacy in generating MSCs from CB. The established cells had typical MSC characteristics with reduced adipogenic differentiation potential and a unique HOX gene fingerprint. Growth factor–rich medium and a 3% oxygen condition enhanced cell proliferation; however, the growth factor–rich medium had a negative effect on the expression of CD90. Dexamethasone-containing medium improved the capacity of the cells to suppress T-cell proliferation, whereas the cells grown without dexamethasone were more able to support angiogenesis. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that the composition of expansion medium is critical for the functionality of MSCs and should always be appropriately defined for each purpose.