Human placenta-derived stem cells - recent findings based on the molecular science

Abstract

The human placenta is a complex, multifunctional transient fetomaternal organ. The placenta is composed of the maternal decidua basalis and its fetal part, consisting of the mesenchymal and trophoblast cell lineages. Both the placenta and the amniotic membranes are abundant in readily available placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PD-MSCs). The clinical application of the PD-MSCs opens new perspectives for regenerative medicine and the treatment of various degenerative disorders. Their properties depend on their paracrine activity – the secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokines and specific exosomes. In contrast to the PD-MSCs, the trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) are much more elusive. They can only be isolated from the blastocyst-stage embryos or the first-trimester placental tissue, making that procedure quite demanding. Also, other cultures require specific, strictly controlled conditions. TSCs may be potentially used as an in vitro model of various placental pathologies, facilitating the elucidation of their mysterious pathogenesis and creating the environment for testing the new drug efficiency. Nonetheless, it is unlikely that they could be ever implemented as a part of novel cellular therapeutic strategies in humans.Running title: Current knowledge on the placental stem cells

Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Derived from Human and Animal Perinatal Tissues—Origins, Characteristics, Signaling Pathways, and Clinical Trials

“…Isolation of stem cells from fetal material does not raise ethical dilemmas due to the fact that these tissues are treated as medical waste immediately after delivery. As a result, the material for laboratory analyses is readily available [ 159 ]. Research material can be taken from tissues obtained from invasive diagnostic and treatment procedures throughout the pregnancy, planned terminations, and after the full-term vaginal delivery or cesarean section.…”