Wharton's jelly (substantia gelatinea funiculi umbilicalis) is a gelatinous substance within the umbilical cord also present in vitreous humor of the eyeball, largely made up of mucopolysaccharides (hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate). It also contains some fibroblasts and macrophages. It is derived from extra-embryonic mesoderm.
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Umbilical cord occlusion
As a mucous tissue, it protects and insulates umbilical blood vessels. Wharton's jelly, when exposed to temperature changes, collapses structures within the umbilical cord and thus provides a physiological clamping of the cord (an average of) 5 minutes after birth.
Stem cells
Cells in Wharton's jelly express several stem cell genes, including telomerase. They can be extracted, cultured, and induced to differentiate into mature cell types such as neurons. Wharton's jelly is therefore a potential source of adult stem cells (also see the more common method of storing cord blood). Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells may have immunomodulatory effect on lymphocytes. In a recent study, Wharton’s Jelly tissue transplantation has shown to be able to reduce traumatic brain injury and may have therapeutic potential.
Etymology
It is named for the English physician and anatomist Thomas Wharton (1614–1673) who first described it in his publication Adenographia, or "The Description of the Glands of the Entire Body", first published in 1656.