Postpartum cells derived from umbilical tissue and methods of making and using the same

1. A method for the preparation of therapeutic cells or cultures comprising:

a) isolating cells from human umbilical cord tissue substantially free of blood, wherein the isolated cells lack production of CD117;

b) initially expanding the cells to a useful number in a serum-containing medium which supports cell expansion, wherein the cells produce a quantity of the cell surface marker HLA-ABC;

c) transferring the cells to a serum-free advanced Dulbecco's minimal essential medium containing L-glutamine and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in which the cells produce a decreased amount of the cell surface marker HLA-ABC; and

d) passaging the cells in the serum-free medium in which the cells produce a decreased amount of the HLA-ABC,

thereby preparing a therapeutic cell or culture.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the cells isolated from human umbilical cord tissue substantially free of blood further have the following characteristics:

(a) express each of CD10, CD13, CD44, CD73, CD90, PDGFr-alpha, PD-L2;

(b) do not express CD31, CD34, CD45, CD80, CD86, CD141, CD178, B7-H2, HLA-G, or HLA-DR,DP,DQ; and

(c) have increased expression of interleukin-8 and reticulon 1 relative to that of a human cell which is a fibroblast, a mesenchymal stem cell, or an iliac crest bone marrow cell.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2 for the production of therapeutic cells or cultures for implantation.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2 for the production of therapeutic cells or cultures for grafting.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the isolated cells from human umbilical cord tissue substantially free of blood are cells deposited with ATCC under Accession No. PTA-6067.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the isolated cells from human umbilical cord tissue substantially free of blood are cells deposited with ATCC under Accession No. PTA-6068.