Stroke Therapy: the Potential of Amniotic Fluid-Derived Stem Cells

Abstract

This article describes the clinical potential of cells harvested from human amniotic fluid in regenerative medicine, especially for stroke therapy. Amniotic fluid has been investigated as a new cell source for mesenchymal stem cells in the development of future cell-based transplantation. In this paper we highlight the characteristics of amniotic fluid-derived cells, as well as the functional benefits of these cells in animal models of stroke, altogether supporting the utility of amniotic fluid as stem cell source for cell therapy in stroke. The human amnion and amniotic fluid have attracted attention in recent years as possible reserves of stem cells that may have clinical application in the field of regenerative medicine. Several studies have examined the differentiation potential of cells derived from these two sources and concluded that they display high plasticity [1]. Currently, most studies have focused on cells derived from the amnion and revealed that amnion cell transplantation promotes re-epithelialization, modulates differentiation and angiogenesis and decreases inflammation, apoptosis and fibrosis [1–4]. This paper seeks to highlight what is currently known of the lesser studied, amniotic fluid-derived stem cells (AFSCs), and to acknowledge their potential clinical application for stroke therapy. Additionally, we will compare the advantages and disadvantages of amniotic fluid versus amnion membrane stem cells.