The future of reconstructive surgery and tissue engineering may lie in… the umbilical cord. Research by scientists from Wroclaw Medical University, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, and Pomeranian Medical University indicates that stem cells obtained from Wharton’s jelly could revolutionize the treatment of damaged organs and tissues.
The authors of the publication in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy call these cells the ‘Holy Grail’ of tissue engineering – due to their versatility, safety, and lack of ethical controversy.
“They are referred to as such because they are potentially a solution to fundamental problems in regenerative medicine,” says Dr Tomasz Górnicki, MD. “It is about the ethical harvesting of stable stem cells with broad differentiation capabilities and immunomodulatory properties.”
The treasure hidden in the umbilical cord
Wharton’s jelly is a soft, gelatinous tissue surrounding the umbilical cord vessels. Treated as waste for years, today it is considered one of the richest sources of stem cells.
Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) combine the characteristics of embryonic and adult cells – they have enormous regenerative potential and can be obtained non-invasively.
“Unlike cells from bone marrow or adipose tissue, the proliferative and differentiation potential of WJ-MSCs does not depend on the age of the donor,” emphasizes Prof. Bartosz Kempisty. “Their collection does not require surgery, and the risk of neoplasia or inflammatory reactions is minimal.”
Regeneration from the heart to the nervous system
WJ-MSCs can differentiate into bone, cartilage, muscle, nerve, or heart cells. This makes them useful in the treatment of heart attacks, strokes, type 1 diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and spinal cord injuries.
“I consider the most promising applications to be the treatment of chronic wounds, diabetes, and heart failure,” adds Dr Tomasz Górnicki, MD.
The first clinical trials are already underway, and their preliminary results indicate that WJ-MSC therapies are safe and well-tolerated.
Living scaffolds and the medicine of the future
Wharton’s jelly is not only a source of cells, but also a natural material for creating ‘living scaffolds’ for new tissues. Combined with biomaterials, it enables the construction of organ-like structures. Laboratories are already creating organoids of the heart, liver, and kidney – miniature models that allow diseases to be studied and therapies to be tested ethically and safely.
“Therapies using WJ-MSCs are already being tested in more than forty clinical trials,” notes Dr Tomasz Górnicki, MD. “However, clear legal regulations and long-term observation of the effects of treatment are needed to assess their safety and effectiveness fully.”
Wharton’s jelly has taken on new significance – from biological waste, it has become a valuable source of cells that can enable proper regeneration, not just tissue replacement.
This material is based on the article:
Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs), a ‘Holy Grail’ in tissue bioengineering and reconstructive medicine
Authors: Tomasz Górnicki, Małgorzata Józkowiak, Krzysztof Data, Dominika Domagała, Julia Niebora, Ewa Okowińska, Anna Kłopot, Magdalena Kulus, Artur Bryja, Slawomir Wozniak, Adam Kaminski, Piotr Chmielewski, Aleksandra Górska, Aleksandra Partyńska, Teresa Wysocka, Marek Spaczyński, Hanna Piotrowska-Kempisty, Piotr Dzięgiel, Paul Mozdziak, Bogusław Czerny, Bartosz Kempisty
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 2025