Frequently Asked Questions

Our cells consistently achieve 98% post-thaw viability, well above the 85% most suppliers report as standard. Growth and proliferation protocols are optimized specifically for UCT-MSCs from carefully screened umbilical cord tissue donors. Each lot undergoes sterility, endotoxin, mycoplasma, and viability testing before release.

Our UCT-MSCs are HLA-DR negative, which removes the HLA-matching requirement in allogeneic applications. This is an advantage over autologous or bone marrow-derived sources, which can carry HLA mismatch considerations.

UCT-MSCs are multipotent and capable of differentiating into osteogenic (bone), chondrogenic (cartilage), adipogenic (fat), myogenic (muscle including cardiac), hepatic (liver), and neural lineages under appropriate inductive conditions. They are classified as multipotent, not pluripotent, meaning they remain within the mesenchymal lineage.

Post-thaw viability determines how many cells are functional upon delivery. At 85% viability, 15 of every 100 cells are dead or non-functional. Non-viable cells release cytoplasmic contents that can interfere with paracrine signaling. At 98%, delivered cells are overwhelmingly functional, which matters directly for research dosing and clinical use.

All cells are derived from ethically sourced umbilical cord tissue from carefully selected, consenting donors. Both the donor and cord tissue undergo a multi-step screening process, including infectious disease testing (HIV-1/2, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HTLV-I/II, CMV, syphilis, West Nile Virus) and health history review, before cells are processed.

Each production lot is accompanied by a Certificate of Analysis including: NTA particle sizing and concentration, sterility (USP <71>), endotoxin (LAL), mycoplasma (PCR), flow cytometry for surface markers (CD73+, CD90+, CD105+, CD45-, CD34-), and viability assay results. Full documentation is published in our Technical Documentation section, and the lot-specific Certificate of Analysis ships with every order.

Viability and characterization testing is confirmed by an independent third-party laboratory. Results are provided in the lot-specific Certificate of Analysis, so researchers and clinicians aren't relying on self-reported quality data.

Our manufacturing process follows GMP-aligned principles: documented lot testing, release criteria, and chain of custody. Products are described as pharmaceutical-grade. We do not use the term "cosmetic-grade" for any UCT-MSC product.

MSC Centers supplies licensed professionals only: physicians and clinicians, research scientists and academic institutions, and licensed veterinarians. Products are not sold to the general public and are not intended for direct-to-consumer use. Product and technical information on this site is open to read with no registration required.

No. Everything published on this site, including technical documentation, handling and storage protocols, and Certificate of Analysis contents, is open with no registration. Use our contact form only if you want lot-specific data, supply information, or a direct answer from our team, and we will follow up within one business day.

Minimum order quantities and available lot sizes depend on the product and intended application. Contact us with your requirements and we will confirm what is available. Bulk supply options for research and academic institutions are available.

Cryopreserved cells are shipped on dry ice in validated cryogenic packaging with monitoring indicators. Shipments are timed to minimize transit duration. Overnight delivery is standard for all cell orders. Handling instructions and thaw protocols are provided with each shipment.

Cryopreserved UCT-MSCs should be stored in liquid nitrogen (-196°C) for long-term storage. Vapor phase liquid nitrogen (-150°C to -190°C) is acceptable for short-term holding. Do not store in ultra-low freezers (-80°C) for extended periods, as cell viability degrades. Exosome preparations should be stored at -80°C with minimal freeze-thaw cycles.

Standard rapid thaw protocol: pre-warm a 37°C water bath, transfer the vial from liquid nitrogen, agitate gently in the water bath until only a small ice crystal remains (about 60-90 seconds), immediately transfer to pre-warmed complete medium at a 10:1 dilution, centrifuge to remove cryoprotectant, resuspend in appropriate medium, and assess viability before use. The full step-by-step protocol is available in Technical Documentation.

UCT-MSCs should be thawed once and used. Re-freezing thawed cells significantly reduces viability and functional capacity. Aliquot cells into working-size quantities before freezing to avoid multiple thaw cycles. Exosome preparations tolerate up to 3 freeze-thaw cycles with minimal cargo loss when properly aliquoted before the initial freeze.