Amniotic fluid as a source of engraftable stem cells

The ability of stem cells to differentiate into various lineages has made them powerful tools of regenerative medicine and applicable to multiple human diseases. Of particular interest, amniotic fluid-derived stem cells (AFSC) have been characterized to express both adult and embryonic cell markers, indicating them as cells within an intermediate stage between embryonic and adult phenotype. AFSC can differentiate into cells of all three germ layers, including hepatic, myogenic, osteogenic, and neurogenic cell types. Furthermore, AFSC have minimal replicative senescence, retaining the ability to divide effectively for over 250 doublings. These facts indicate that amniotic fluid may exist as a promising donor source of stem cells for the treatment of multiple clinically relevant conditions. Of particular interest is the convenience of harvesting stem cells from the amniotic fluid stem for the treatment of newborns, as well as for banking or cryopreserving purposes to be used at a later date. Importantly, the promise of amniotic fluid as a source of stem cells merits ongoing research into their potential therapeutic applications. This paper is a review article. Referred literature in this paper has been listed in the references section. The datasets supporting the conclusions of this article are available online by searching various databases, including PubMed. Some original points in this article come from the laboratory practice in our research center and the authors’ experiences.