Amniotic membrane-derived stem cells: immunomodulatory properties and potential clinical application

Epithelial and mesenchymal cells isolated from the amniotic membrane (AM) possess stem cell characteristics, differentiation potential toward lineages of different germ layers, and immunomodulatory properties. While their expansion and differentiation potential have been well studied and characteriz...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Stem cells and cloning 2014-01, Vol.7 (default), p.53-63
Main Authors: Insausti, Carmen L, Blanquer, Miguel, García-Hernández, Ana M, Castellanos, Gregorio, Moraleda, José M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amnion
Amniotic sac
Analysis
Antigens
Apoptosis
Bone marrow
Cell differentiation
Health aspects
Immunoglobulins
Ligands
Review
Spinal cord injuries
Stem cells
Transplants & implants
Tumor necrosis factor-TNF
Umbilical cord
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Epithelial and mesenchymal cells isolated from the amniotic membrane (AM) possess stem cell characteristics, differentiation potential toward lineages of different germ layers, and immunomodulatory properties. While their expansion and differentiation potential have been well studied and characterized, knowledge about their immunomodulatory properties and the mechanisms involved is still incomplete. These mechanisms have been evaluated on various target cells of the innate and the adaptive system and in animal models of different inflammatory diseases. Some results have evidenced that the immunomodulatory effect of AM-derived cells is dependent on cell-cell contact, but many of them have demonstrated that these properties are mediated through the secretion of suppressive molecules. In this review, we present an update on the described immunomodulatory properties of the derived amniotic cells and some of the proposed involved mechanisms. Furthermore, we describe some assays in animal models of different inflammatory diseases which reveal the potential use of these cells to treat such diseases.
ISSN:1178-6957
1178-6957
DOI:10.2147/SCCAA.S58696