Abstract

Regenerative medicine aspires to restore the physiological function of target tissues by way of reconstitution and/or reproduction using a combination of medicine, engineering and molecular biology1. Some therapies in this field are based on stem cells due to their ability to self-renew, multi-lineage differentiation potential and ease for in vitro expansion. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been considered one of the most suitable sources for this kind of therapies. The human umbilical cord (hUC), which can be isolated from discarded extraembryonic tissue after birth2, is a promising source for MSCs, because it is free from ethical complications and easy to harvest via non-invasive methods3. hUC produces large yields of MSCs and possesses immunosuppressive activities, making it useful in allogeneic settings. Thus, its application has been attempted in a wide spectrum of diseases, such as infertility or premature ovarian insufficiency (POF), one of the most common disorders that affect women4. In these cases, the aim is to restore ovarian function. Numerous studies have verified the protective effect of ovarian function resulting from the administration of MSCs in animal models of POF, which could promote the recovery by improving cellular environment through inhibition of granulosa cell apoptosis and follicular atresia, by upregulating receptor expression for anti- Müllerian and follicle-stimulating hormones in granulosa cells5. Based on the above, the main objective of this work is to improve the culture and expansion of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs), for use in the treatment of ovarian diseases.