title: Isolation of human mesenchymal stem cells from third-trimester amniotic fluid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be isolated in third-trimester amniotic fluid (AF) and their differentiation induced.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sufficient numbers of MSCs were isolated from the AF of 15 healthy women undergoing cesarean delivery in the third trimester to be cultured and induced to differentiate into osteocytes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction showed the MSCs to express the pluripotency marker gene OCT4, and flow cytometry showed these cells to be positive for CD29, CD73, CD90, and CD105 and negative for CD31, CD45, and CD61. The MSCs were also determined to be nontumorigenic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multipotent MSCs can be obtained from AF in the third trimester, which may be less dangerous than the second trimester to women and their fetuses.
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Investigation Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Xiaojing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yuanlong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang