Abstract
Over the past decade, amniotic fluid-derived stem cells have emerged as a novel, experimental approach for the treatment of a wide variety of congenital anomalies diagnosed either in utero or postnatally. There are a number of unique properties of amniotic fluid stem cells that have allowed it to become a major research focus. These include the relative ease of accessing amniotic fluid cells in a minimally invasive fashion by amniocentesis as well as the relatively rich population of progenitor cells obtained from a small aliquot of fluid. Mesenchymal stem cells, c-kit positive stem cells, as well as induced pluripotent stem cells have all been derived from human amniotic fluid in recent years. This article gives a pediatric surgeon's perspective on amniotic fluid stem cell therapy for the management of congenital anomalies. The current status in the use of amniotic fluid-derived stem cells, particularly as they relate as substrates in tissue engineering-based applications, is described in various animal models. A roadmap for further study and eventual clinical application is also proposed.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 89-95 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Organogenesis |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Amniotic fluid
- Congenital anomalies
- Fetal therapy
- Fetus
- Mesenchymal stem cells
- Stem cell therapy
- Stem cells
- Tissue engineering
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biomedical Engineering
- Embryology
- Developmental Biology
- Transplantation