Influence of Factors of Cryopreservation and Hypothermic Storage on Survival and Functional Parameters of Multipotent Stromal Cells of Placental Origin

Human placenta is a highly perspective source of multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) both for the purposes of patient specific auto-banking and allogeneic application in regenerative medicine. Implementation of new GMP standards into clinical practice enforces the search for relevant methods of cryopreservation and short-term hypothermic storage of placental MSCs. In this paper we analyze the effect of different temperature regimes and individual components of cryoprotective media on viability, metabolic and culture properties of placental MSCs. We demonstrate (I) the possibility of short-term hypothermic storage of these cells; (II) determine DMSO and propanediol as the most appropriate cryoprotective agents; (III) show the possibility of application of volume expanders (plasma substituting solutions based on dextran or polyvinylpyrrolidone); (IV) reveal the priority of ionic composition over the serum content in cryopreservation media; (V) determine a cooling rate of 1°C/min down to -40°C followed by immersion into liquid nitrogen as the optimal cryopreservation regime for this type of cells. This study demonstrates perspectives for creation of new defined cryopreservation methods towards GMP standards.