Turning Trash Into Treasure: A Simple Protocol for Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Isolation From Used Bone Marrow Collection Kits

The therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) has been extensively investigated in both preclinical and clinical settings. Recent years have witnessed the emergence of numerous isolation protocols and culture techniques, ranging from the selection of subpopulations to preserve stemness to preconditioning strategies aimed at enhancing therapeutic efficacy, tailored to the specific tissue source. In this protocol, we present a straightforward and cost-effective method for isolating human MSCs (hMSCs) from discarded bone marrow collection kits (comprising bag and filter systems) originally intended for removing impurities and unwanted cellular debris from the collected bone marrow aspirate, ensuring the purity of the stem cell population during stem cell transplantation. Utilizing basic laboratory equipment, we demonstrate the isolation of hMSCs, highlighting the expression of specific surface antigens, and multilineage differentiation into adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic lineages in vitro. This sustainable and resource-efficient approach not only contributes to reducing medical waste but also holds promise for advancing regenerative medicine applications. (c) 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Basic Protocol 1: Isolation of human mesenchymal stromal cells from bone marrow collection kitsBasic Protocol 2: Culture of human mesenchymal stromal cellsBasic Protocol 3: Characterization of human mesenchymal stromal cells with flow cytometry analysisBasic Protocol 4: Characterization of human mesenchymal stromal cells with multilineage differentiation under in vitro conditions