Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the most promising stem cells for clinical applications. MSCs are widely used in disease treatment in some different countries. Recently, some MSC banks are developed to cryopreserve MSCs from umbilical cord tissues, adipose tissues, and bone marrow. This review aims to discuss some techniques, some advantages, as well as disadvantages of the umbilical cord, derived mesenchymal stem cell banking (UCMSCB). From 2010 to date, there are more than 10 UCMSCBs established in the world. There are two methods to isolate UCMSCs including tissue culture and single cell culture. Then they are cryopreserved in the liquid nitrogen for a long time. Although UCMSCBs can provide more the choice to store the MSCs from the umbilical cord, allogeneic MSC transplantation with high efficacy in disease treatment suggests that UCMSCBs should change with new approaches to use the cryopreserved samples.