Porcine mesenchymal stem cells--current technological status and future perspective.

Similarities of porcine mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSCs) with human counterpart allow them to be considered as a valuable model system for in vitro studies and preclinical assessments. Effective isolation and expansion of porcine MSCs from different origins, namely bone marrow, umbilical cord Wharton's jelly, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood and peripheral blood has been reported. The differentiation of porcine MSCs into mesenchymal lineages under in vitro conditions is consistent and growing evidence has also suggested their transdifferentiation abilities. Results of preclinical studies unveil a time dependent retention, engraftment, migration, ex vivo and in vivo differentiation characteristics and possibility for genetic modification of MSCs. Findings on immunogenicity and the immunomodulatory capacity of porcine MSCs are encouraging and valuable to understand the host compatibility following transplantation. Furthermore, suitability of porcine MSCs as donors in nuclear transfer offers a greater potential to medicine and biopharming. Here, we highlight recent findings in the areas of porcine MSC sources, differentiation ability, transplantation applications and their potential as nuclear donors for somatic cell nuclear transfer.