Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Wharton's Jelly and Amniotic Fluid.
The discovery of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in perinatal sources, such as the amniotic fluid (AF) and the umbilical connective tissue, the so-called Wharton's jelly (WJ), has transformed them into promising stem cell grafts for the application in regenerative medicine. The advantages of AF-MSCs and WJ-MSCs over adult MSCs, such as bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), include their minimally invasive isolation procedure, their more primitive cell character without being tumourigenic, their low immunogenicity and their potential autologous application in congenital disorders and when cryopreserved in adulthood. This chapter gives an overview of the biology of AF-MSCs and WJ-MSCs, and their regenerative potential based on the results of recent preclinical and clinical studies. In the end, open questions concerning the use of WJ-MSCs and AF-MSCs in regenerative medicine will be emphasized.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: marianne.joerger@dkf.unibe.ch.
Marianne S
MS
Joerger-Messerli
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: caterina.marx@students.unibe.ch.
Caterina
C
Marx
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: byron.oppliger@dkf.unibe.ch.
Byron
B
Oppliger
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address: martin.mueller@insel.ch.
Martin
M
Mueller
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: daniel.surbek@insel.ch.
Daniel V
DV
Surbek
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: andreina.schoeberlein@dkf.unibe.ch.
Andreina
A
Schoeberlein
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D012038:Regeneration; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D059631:Wharton Jelly / Q000166:cytology*
Wharton's jelly; amniotic fluid; mesenchymal stem cells; regenerative potential