Rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells: A new option for tissue engineering

Abstract Background The source and availability of cells for tissue engineering in large scale research or clinical trials requires special attention. We propose the idea of applying rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells for this purpose. Methods Here, the structure of the rabbit umbilical cord was analyzed and compared to that of human umbilical cord, both macroscopically and histologically. Next, we isolated, cultured and identified the proliferative activity and immunological characteristics of rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in vitro using mixed lymphocyte reaction, flow cytometry and an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, we evaluated the effects of biphasic calcium phosphate ceramic scaffolds seeded with rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in rat cranial defect models using multiple techniques, including radiological, histological and immunohistochemistry. Results In vitro studies demonstated a high level of proliferation and multi‐lineage differentiation potential in rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. Rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells exibited low immunogenicity properties and immune suppression capability with respect to both the allogeneic and xenogeneic immune response. The results of the in vivo study showed that rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells could promote osteogenesis in heterogeneous hosts. Conclusions The rabbit umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells may be a new source for tissue engineering.