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TRIAL INQUIRY

Isolation of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) from Umbilical Cord Tissue

Umbilical cord tissue is a rich, ethically unproblematic source of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs).
Mechanical dissociation with the TissueGrinder enables fast, standardized isolation without enzymes – maintaining viability and surface characteristics for robust culture and downstream analysis.

Visual Abstract of Isolating Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) from Umbilical Cord Tissue by Mechanical Dissociation

Reference​: Stange K., Wolter T., Fu Z., Burdeos G., Mideksa Y., Friese A., Röntgen M. (2025). Isolation of Porcine Umbilical Cord Cells by Mechanical Tissue Dissociation Using a Tissue Grinder. Cells 14, 1425. doi:10.3390/cells14181425.

Challenge

  • Enzymatic isolation (e.g., collagenase mixes) can degrade epitopes, stress cells, and prolong processing.
  • Workflows are hard to standardize and often operator-dependent.
  • Translational applications benefit from faster, gentler dissociation that preserves phenotype.

Approach

Fresh umbilical cord segments are mechanically dissociated in the TissueGrinder (100 µm filter). Cells are pelleted and seeded for MSC culture expansion (P1–P3). The study used porcine cords as a model analogous to human tissue.

  • Enzyme-free, minutes-scale dissociation
  • Semi-automated; operator-independent profiles
  • Reproducible, sterile workflow compatible with standard culture

Results

Cells isolated with the TissueGrinder adhered and proliferated through multiple passages (P1–P3), displayed typical spindle-shaped MSC morphology, and reached confluence within days. Mechanical dissociation preserved high viability and yielded performance comparable or superior to enzymatic digestion.

  • Adherence & Growth:
    Rapid adherence
    Consistent proliferation across P1–P3
  • Morphology:
    Spindle-shaped MSC phenotype
  • Viability:
    High viability maintained during expansion
  • Comparability:
    Mechanical isolation comparable/superior to enzymatic digestion

Key Takeaways

  • Enzyme-free isolation of MSCs within minutes
  • Preserved viability and typical morphology
  • Consistent proliferation over passages
  • Comparable or superior to enzymatic workflows
  • Applicable to porcine and human umbilical cord tissue
  • Ready-to-use single cells for culture and downstream analysis
TissueGrinder dissociation set - consumable for automated tissue dissociation
TissueGrinder benchtop device with sterile dissociation set and software for automated tissue dissociation and single-cell preparation.

TissueGrinder Advantages

  • Automation-ready
  • Reproducible results
  • Compatible with standard lab workflows
  • Ideal for translational and regenerative research
Light blue double arrow symbol pointing right, representing speed, forward motion, or process acceleration.

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