What the 2026 analysis set out to measure
A 2026 peer-reviewed analysis evaluated six commercial Wharton's jelly products against measurable cell-content criteria: total cell count and cell viability. This kind of analysis matters because Wharton's jelly, the gelatinous connective-tissue matrix inside the umbilical cord, is rich in hyaluronic acid, collagens, and growth factors on a compositional level, but composition alone does not establish what cellular content, if any, survives standard commercial processing, cryopreservation, and storage.
The analysis examined six products; it does not establish the composition of every commercial product.
What the 2026 analysis found on Wharton's jelly cell viability
The reported findings were low total cell counts and low cell viability across the six products tested, with only rare viable mesenchymal stromal cells identified. In practical terms, this means that even where some cellular material was detected, the proportion of cells that were both alive and consistent with mesenchymal stromal cell identity was small and inconsistent.
The finding concerns low measured cell counts/viability and rare viable MSCs in six tested products; it does not establish which processing step caused the finding.
How this lines up with the 2021 colony-forming study
A separate 2021 study examined five commercial umbilical cord allograft products for colony-forming potential and found no colony-forming mesenchymal stromal cells in any of them.
Taken together, the 2021 colony-forming result and the 2026 viability and cell-count result point in the same direction across the products studied: neither analysis documented the viable, functional cell content that 'stem cell' marketing language implies.
What 'low viability' and 'rare viable' cells mean for product descriptions
These are measured laboratory findings, not claims about any particular product's performance in a clinical setting, and this summary does not make any claim about what effect, if any, a product has when used by a physician. What the findings do support is a more careful and specific description of what a Wharton's jelly allograft is: a tissue-derived scaffold product with a documented compositional profile, not a verified cell therapy.
Suppliers and clinics describing these products should be able to point to lot-specific documentation, such as a certificate of analysis, that addresses cell content directly, rather than relying on the general reputation of Wharton's jelly as a tissue type.
What documentation can and cannot tell you
Confirm with each supplier what a given certificate of analysis documents, since coverage varies: sterility testing, lot identification, and release criteria are common categories, but a cell count or viability assay is included only if the supplier specifically performs and reports one. The absence of a cell-content claim on a certificate of analysis should not be read as confirmation either way.
- Ask directly whether cell count and viability testing is performed per lot or only at a product-development stage
- Ask what method was used for any reported viability figure, and whether it matches a recognized assay
- Request the underlying lab report, not just a summary statement, when cell content is part of a sales claim
- Treat marketing claims about stem cell content as unverified until tied to a specific lot's data
How procurement teams should use this evidence
Use these findings as a baseline expectation for the products studied, then verify against the specific lot documentation for any product under consideration, since results can vary by supplier and by individual lot. This article summarizes published findings for licensed professionals. These products are not FDA approved or licensed for any disease or condition. Information is for licensed healthcare professionals and is not medical or legal advice. Questions about clinical use or regulatory classification belong with a physician and their regulatory counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Does this mean Wharton's jelly tissue contains no cells at all?+
No. The findings concern low measured cell counts and viability with only rare viable mesenchymal stromal cells identified in the six products tested, not whether the raw donated tissue originally contained cells.
Should every Wharton's jelly product be assumed to have the same cell content?+
No. The 2026 analysis covered six products and reported generally low counts and viability, but documentation should be checked lot by lot and supplier by supplier.
What functional test is considered standard for confirming viable mesenchymal stromal cells?+
The 2021 study assessed colony-forming potential. MSC identity uses the full ISCT minimal criteria, not a single assay.
Does low documented viability affect how a product should be marketed?+
Yes. Claims should match what lot-specific documentation supports; general 'stem cell' language is not supported by the findings summarized here for the products studied.
Sources
- Umbilical cord-derived Wharton's jelly for regenerative medicine: a systematic review ↗PMC
- Critical evaluation of compositions and clinical relevance of Wharton's jelly-derived biologics ↗PMC
- Colony forming potential and protein composition of commercial umbilical cord allograft products ↗Am J Sports Med