S. ManochantrY. U-pratyaP. KheolamaiS. RojphisanM. ChayosumritC. TantrawatpanA. SupokawejS. IssaragrisilFaculty of Medicine, Thammasat UniversityMahidol University2018-10-192018-10-192013-04-01Internal Medicine Journal. Vol.43, No.4 (2013), 430-43914455994144409032-s2.0-84875667664https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/32416Background: The role of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSC) in preventing the incidence and ameliorating the severity of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) has recently been reported. However, as the collection of BM-MSC is an invasive procedure, more accessible sources of MSC are desirable. Aim: This study aimed to explore the alternative sources of MSC from amnion, placenta, Wharton's jelly and umbilical cord, which are usually discarded. Methods: MSC from those tissues were isolated using mechanical dissociation and enzymatic digestion. Their capacity for proliferation and differentiation, and ability to suppress alloreactive T-lymphocytes were studied and compared with those of BM-MSC. Results: MSC derived from amnion, placenta, Wharton's jelly and umbilical cord were similar to BM-MSC regarding the cell morphology, the immunophenotype as well as the differentiation ability. These MSC also elicited a similar degree of immunosuppression, as evidenced by the inhibition of alloreactive T-lymphocytes in the mixed lymphocyte reaction, compared with that of BM-MSC. MSC from umbilical cord and Wharton's jelly had a higher proliferative capacity, whereas those from amnion and placenta had a lower proliferative capacity compared with BM-MSC. Conclusion: The results obtained from this study suggest that MSC from amnion, placenta, Wharton's jelly and umbilical cord can therefore be potentially used for substituting BM-MSC in several therapeutic applications, including the treatment of GvHD. © 2012 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.Mahidol UniversityMedicineArticleSCOPUS10.1111/imj.12044