Native wharton's jelly stem cells and their purification

Abstract

Noncultured Wharton's Jelly stem cells and methods of their purification, storage and use are provided.

We claim: 
     
         1 .- 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method of freezing a composition comprising a Wharton's Jelly filtrate, the method comprising:
 preparing a cell-depleted Wharton's Jelly filtrate by   (a) mincing umbilical cord tissue comprising Wharton's Jelly,   (b) subsequently diluting the umbilical cord tissue with a buffer and optionally a salt solution in an amount sufficient to reduce viscosity,   (c) subsequently filtering the umbilical cord tissue to generate a homogenous filtrate,   (d) sedimenting Wharton's Jelly stem cells from the filtrate to generate the homogenous cell-depleted Wharton's Jelly filtrate, and   freezing the Wharton's Jelly filtrate at or below −20 ° C.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the Wharton's Jelly filtrate is frozen at a temperature at or below −80 ° C. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the Wharton's Jelly filtrate is frozen at a temperature at or below −180 ° C. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein prior to mincing the umbilical cord tissue, an antibiotic is added to the umbilical cord tissue. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the method comprises exposing the umbilical cord tissue to a protease. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the salt solution comprises Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the homogenous cell-depleted Wharton's Jelly filtrate is completely devoid of cells. 
     
     
         38 . The cell culture medium of  claim 31 , wherein the umbilical cord tissue includes arteries and veins. 
     
     
         39 . A method of freezing cells at or below −20 ° C., the method comprising:
 freezing purified cells in a Wharton's jelly filtrate at or below −20 ° C. 
 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the Wharton's Jelly filtrate is frozen at a temperature at or below −80 ° C. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the Wharton's Jelly filtrate is frozen at a temperature at or below −180 ° C. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the Wharton's Jelly has been digested using mechanical digestion. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the Wharton's Jelly has been digested using enzymatic digestion. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the Wharton's jelly filtrate is prepared by mincing umbilical cord tissue comprising Wharton's Jelly, subsequently diluting the umbilical cord tissue with a buffer, and subsequently filtering the umbilical cord tissue to generate a homogenous Wharton's jelly filtrate. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the buffer is present in an amount sufficient to reduce viscosity of the Wharton's Jelly filtrate. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the method further comprises the step of sedimenting Wharton's Jelly stem cells from the filtrate to generate a cell-depleted Wharton's Jelly filtrate. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising the step of culturing the cells. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the cells comprise cells of a cell type other than Wharton's Jelly stem cells.