title: Amnion epithelial cells as a candidate therapy for acute and chronic lung injury.
abstract: Acute and chronic lung injury represents a major and growing global burden of disease. For many of these lung diseases, the damage is irreparable, exhausting the host's ability to regenerate new lung, and current therapies are simply supportive rather than restorative. Cell-based therapies offer the promise of tissue regeneration for many organs. In this paper, we examine the potential application of amnion epithelial cells, derived from the term placenta, to lung regeneration. We discuss their unique properties of plasticity and immunomodulation, reviewing the experimental evidence that amnion epithelial cells can prevent and repair lung injury, offering the potential to be applied to both neonatal, childhood, and adult lung disease. It is amazing to suggest that the placenta may offer renewed life after birth as well as securing new life before.
authors.affiliation: The Ritchie Centre, Monash Institute of Medical Research and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Southern Clinical School and Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia.
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hodges
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jenkin
authors.forename: Euan M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wallace