Chapter 40 - Stem Cells Derived from Amniotic Fluid

Abstract

In this chapter, we provide an overview of the potential advantages and disadvantages of different stem and progenitor cell populations identified to date in amniotic fluid, along with their properties and potential clinical applications. In the last ten years, placenta, fetal membranes (i.e., amnion and chorion), and amniotic fluid have been extensively investigated as a potential uncontroversial source of stem cells. They are usually discarded after delivery and are accessible during pregnancy through amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling. Several populations of cells with multilineage differentiation potential and immunomodulatory properties have been isolated from the human placenta and fetal membranes; they have been classified by an international workshop as human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs), human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSCs), human chorionic mesenchymal stromal cells (hCMSCs), and human chorionic trophoblastic cells (hCTCs). In the amniotic fluid (AF), two main populations of stem cells have been isolated so far: (1) amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells (AFMSCs) and (2) amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells. Although only recently described, these cells may, given the easier accessibility of the AF in comparison with other extra-embryonic tissues, hold much promise in regenerative medicine.