title: A comparison between placental and amniotic mesenchymal stem cells for transamniotic stem cell therapy (TRASCET) in experimental spina bifida.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compared placental-derived and amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells (pMSCs and afMSCs, respectively) in transamniotic stem cell therapy (TRASCET) for experimental spina bifida.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant dams (n=29) exposed to retinoic acid for the induction of fetal spina bifida were divided into four groups. Three groups received volume-matched intraamniotic injections of either saline (n=38 fetuses) or a suspension of 2×10(6) cells/mL of syngeneic, labeled afMSCs (n=73) or pMSCs (n=115) on gestational day 17 (term=21-22days). Untreated fetuses served as controls. Animals were killed before term. Statistical comparisons were by Fisher's exact test (p<0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survival was similar across treatment groups (p=0.08). In fetuses with isolated spina bifida (n=100), there were higher percentages of defect coverage (either partial or complete) in both afMSC and pMSC groups compared with saline and untreated groups (p<0.001-0.03 in pairwise comparisons). There were no differences in coverage rates between afMSC and pMSC groups (p=0.94) or between saline and untreated groups (p=0.98).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both pMSC and afMSC can induce comparable rates of coverage of experimental spina bifida after concentrated intraamniotic injection in the rodent model. This broadens the options for timing and cell source for TRASCET as a potential alternative in the prenatal management of spina bifida.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D Graham
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: John Patrick
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Connors
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brazzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zurakowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Electronic address: dario.fauza@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Dario O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Fauza
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D000818:Animals; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000601:surgery*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D014945:Wound Healing
keywords: Amniotic mesenchymal stem cells; Fetal stem cell therapy; Myelomeningocele; Placental mesenchymal stem cells; Prenatal stem cell therapy; Spina bifida; TRASCET