Efficacy and safety of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned media for preventing and treating skin aging

doi:10.4252/wjsc.v17.i9.108049

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World Journal of Stem Cells

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1948-0210

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World J Stem Cells. Sep 26, 2025; 17(9): 108049
Published online Sep 26, 2025. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i9.108049

Efficacy and safety of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned media for preventing and treating skin aging

Hyunjun Ahn, Ho-Seong Han, Kye-Ho Lee

Hyunjun Ahn, Kye-Ho Lee, Stem Cell Treatment and Research Institute, Bio-Beauty & Health Company, Seoul 04420, South Korea

Ho-Seong Han, Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seongnam-si 13620, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Author contributions: Ahn H, Han HS, and Lee KH contributed to the conceptualization and writing - review & editing; Han HS and Lee KH participated in the project administration; Ahn H contributed to the data curation, formal analysis, investigation, methodology, visualization, and writing - original draft preparation; Lee KH contributed to funding acquisition, resources, and supervision.

Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the National Institute of Health Guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee in Bundang, South Korea (BA-2207-347-001-01).

Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.

ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.

Data sharing statement: The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding or first author upon reasonable request.

Corresponding author: Kye-Ho Lee, PhD, Stem Cell Treatment and Research Institute, Bio-Beauty & Health Company, No. 72 UN Village Gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04420, South Korea. msoh@stc365.com

Received: April 10, 2025
Revised: June 12, 2025
Accepted: August 29, 2025
Published online: September 26, 2025
Processing time: 167 Days and 21.7 Hours

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Research has been increasingly conducted on the connection between mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-conditioned medium (MSC-CM) and aging. However, most studies have focused on adipose-derived MSC-CM (ADMSC-CM), resulting in a research bias. We hypothesized that umbilical cord-derived MSCs, being younger than adipose-derived MSCs, would be more suitable for overcoming aging-related processes.

AIM

To assess the efficacy and safety of umbilical cord-derived MSC-CM (UCMSC-CM) for preventing and treating skin aging.

METHODS

In vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to compare UCMSC-CM with ADMSC-CM, the most studied active aging-preventive conditioned medium to date. Additionally, the most effective delivery method of UCMSC-CM for aged skin was identified.

RESULTS

UCMSC-CM had a higher content of effective factors, stimulated higher proliferation of fibroblasts, and strongly inhibited melanin production in B16F1 cells. In aged mice, UCMSC-CM application increased skin thickness, the number of Ki-67-positive cells, and the area of collagen deposition. UCMSC-CM was more effective than ADMSC-CM in preventing and treating skin aging. Additionally, a safety evaluation of UCMSC-CM performed in various animal models indicated that it was safe even when used directly on the skin.

CONCLUSION

UCMSC-CM is effective and safe for preventing and treating skin aging.

Keywords: Skin aging; Mesenchymal stem cell; Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell; Mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium; Treating skin

Core Tip: Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium (UCMSC-CM) contains higher levels of effective factors than adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium, enhancing skin fibroblast proliferation and inhibiting melanin production in vitro. It promotes skin regeneration more effectively than adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium in aged skin in vivo. Subcutaneous injection of UCMSC-CM was the most effective method for promoting skin regeneration in aged skin in vivo. A non-clinical safety evaluation indicated that UCMSC-CM is a safe substance. These findings highlight UCMSC-CM as a promising and effective treatment for skin aging.