Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have provided a promising tool for cell therapy. Umbilical cord (UC) is one of the best sources of MSCs since its collection is noninvasive, and effortless, and the cells from this source are more capable and prolific. It has been proven that the differentiation, migration and protective properties of UC-MSCs are superior compared with other kinds of stem cells. Moreover, incurable neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington, encourage scientists to apply UC-MSCs transplantation in order to find a definite treatment. This review will focus on the preclinical and clinical use of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human umbilical cord in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) enable a novel approach in stem cell therapy. Bone marrow (BM) was the first source used in MSCs therapy. However, BM has a number of key limitations as a source of MSCs, such as existence of only a small number of MSCs in the tissue, the painful, ethically problematic, and invasive nature of the associated collection process, and decrease in MSC specifications as age of donors increases. As a result, there has been increasing scholarly attention in identifying alternative sources for MSCs. In specific, Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells (UC-MSCs) has been identified as a valuable source from which MSC may be obtained with potentially fewer ethical issues. MSCs can regulate the immune response, promote tissue repair, increase regeneration, and improve anticancer effects. Thus, they are significant allogenic and autologous representative for curing malignant and non-malignant disorders. In this review, therefore, the prospective applications for curing autoimmune disorders will be considered.