title: Fetal stem cells from extra-embryonic tissues: do not discard.
abstract: Stem cells hold promise to treat diseases currently unapproachable, including Parkinson's disease, liver disease and diabetes. Seminal research has demonstrated the ability of embryonic and adult stem cells to differentiate into clinically useful cell types in vitro and in vivo. More recently, the potential of fetal stem cells derived from extra-embryonic tissues has been investigated. Fetal stem cells are particularly appealing for clinical applications. The cells are readily isolated from tissues normally discarded at birth, avoiding ethical concerns that plague the isolation embryonic stem cells. Extra-embryonic tissues are large, potentially increasing the number of stem cells that can be extracted. Lastly, the generation and sequestration of cells that form extra-embryonic tissues occurs early in development and may endow resident stem cell populations with enhanced potency. In this review we summarize recent work examining the plasticity and clinical potential of fetal stem cells isolated from extra-embryonic tissues.
authors.affiliation: The Ira B. Black Center for Stem Cell Research and the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854-5635, USA. marcusak@umdnj.edu
authors.forename: Akiva J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: Dale
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Woodbury
mesh_terms: D000650:Amnion / Q000166:cytology; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005321:Extraembryonic Membranes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D053686:Fetal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology; D011247:Pregnancy; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000166:cytology