RNA-sequencing of human umbilical cord-derived MSC (UCX) in normoxia and hypoxia

Human umbilical cord matrix-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UCM-MSC) are advantageous since can be easily obtained and display special interest as universal and feasible add-on therapy for myocardial infarction (MI). In this study, UCM-MSC from two umbilical cords, UC-A and UC-B, were transplanted in a murine MI model to investigate consistency and durability of the therapeutic benefits. Both cellular products supported sustained and long-term beneficial therapeutic effect. In vitro, the two cell products displayed similar ability to induce the formation of vessel-like structures and comparable transcriptome in normoxia and hypoxia, apart from expression differences in a small subset of genes associated with MHC Class I. These findings support that UCM-MSC are strong candidates to assist the treatment of MI whilst calling for the discussion on methodologies to characterize and select best performing UCM-MSC before clinical application.