ObjectiveTo obtain the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from human umbilical cord and mark in vitro, for further transplantation therapy. MethodsThe MSC were isolated from human umbilical cord by tissue explants culture method. After subculture in vitro, the morphology of hUC-MSC was observed; the surface antigens of hUC-MSC were detected by flow cytometry; adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation were determined by specific staining; hUC-MSC labelled with Brd U were identified by immunofluorescence. ResultsMSC could be isolated successfully by tissue explants culture method. When cultured about one week, the cells climbed out from the tissue block edge, proliferated and formed colonies; the hUC-MSCs of passage 5 were detected by flow cytometry, and they highly expressed CD73, CD90 and CD105, didn't express or lowly expressed CD14, CD34, CD45, CD79a and human leukocyte antigen-DR. After two weeks of adipogenic induction, they were positive in oil red O staining, and after three weeks of osteogenic induction, red precipitate could be seen by alizarin red staining, and the red fluorescence of the hUC-MSC labelled with Brd U could be detected by immunofluorescence detection. ConclusionThe cells can be isolated from human umbilical cord by tissue explants culture method, with the characteristics of hUC-MSCs and can be labeled successfully in vitro, so it can be used for the research in the field of cell transplantation.