title: Human amnion-derived cells as a reliable source of stem cells.
abstract: Human amnion-derived cells possess great potential for the repair of human neural disorders, and recent studies have broadened the spectrum for applications because they exhibit the characteristics of multipotent stem cells. These cells express embryonic stem cell markers such as Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, SSEA-3, SSEA-4 and Rex1, and can differentiate into multiple primary germ layers both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, induced pluripotent stem cells have been generated from amnion-derived cells by virus-mediated delivery of three or four pluripotency-relating transcription factors or by the introduction of only one transcription factor with electroporation. Because human amnion-derived cells are readily available, less likely to contain genetic aberrations and can be reprogrammed earlier and more efficiently than differentiated cells, they can be ideal resources as the donor pluripotent stem cells for therapeutic purposes. We discuss here the highlights of recent studies and potential applications of human amnion-derived multipotent stem cells to stem cell biology as well as to regenerative medicine in the field of aging, heart disease, diabetes and neural disorders.
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell and Tissue Regeneration, Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, San Ming District, 807Kaohsiung, Taiwan. saict1@maple.ocn.ne.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murayama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
mesh_terms: D000650:Amnion / Q000166:cytology*; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D012038:Regeneration; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D055746:Stage-Specific Embryonic Antigens / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; C486780:NANOG protein, human; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494173:POU5F1 protein, human; C527782:SOX2 protein, human; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors; D055746:Stage-Specific Embryonic Antigens; C507976:ZFP42 protein, human; C052924:stage-specific embryonic antigen-3; C066584:stage-specific embryonic antigen-4