Umbilical Cord-Derived Cells: Applications in Neurological Disorders

The umbilical cord is a perinatal tissue normally discarded after delivery that can be used as a source of different cell types with promising therapeutic potential. In this chapter, we discuss the use of different cell populations isolated from umbilical cord tissue and blood, which include hematopoietic stem cells/progenitors, mononuclear cells, and mesenchymal stem/stromal cells, as therapeutic agents for neurological disorders. We review the main preclinical studies and clinical trials based on umbilical cord derived cells in optic neuropathies and retinal diseases, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.