Amniotic stem cells – Rising stars of cell therapy
Scientists at Wake Forest University (North Carolina) and Vienna Medical University (Austria), working under the leadership of Anthony Atala and Markus Hengstchlaeger, demonstrated for the first time that stem cells contained in amniotic fluid (amniotic fluid) meet an important criterion indicating their ability to turn into specialized cells. This indicates the possibility of using such cells to treat a much wider range of diseases than experts had previously assumed.
In the article "Embryoid body formation of human amniotic fluid stem cells depends on mTOR", published on November 23 in the preliminary on-line version of the Oncogene journal, the authors describe experiments during which amniotic stem cells demonstrated the ability to form characteristic three-dimensional aggregates of cells known as embryoid corpuscles. It is believed that the cells at this stage of development are able to give rise to almost any type of cells in the body.
Atala and colleagues isolated stem cells from the placenta and the amniotic fluid surrounding the embryo for the first time. The results of this work were published in January 2007 in the journal Nature Biotechnology in the article "Isolation of amniotic stem cell lines with potential for therapy". Their new work is the result of one of several projects dedicated to studying the potential of this new type of stem cells. Currently, researchers are studying the possibility of using such cells in the treatment of diabetes and kidney diseases.
To conduct the study, the scientists created two additional lines of stem cells isolated from the amnion. After that, using these two lines and the cell line obtained as a result of previous work, they conducted many experiments in which, using various approaches, they demonstrated the ability of these cells to form embryoid bodies.
In addition, they found that the mTOR protein contained inside the studied cells controls the formation of embryoid bodies. According to Hengstlager, whose group proved for the first time the presence of stem cells in amniotic fluid, these data will allow specialists to take a fresh look at the molecular mechanisms of the formation of embryoid bodies.
Experts believe that amniotic stem cells can be used to create disease-specific stem cell lines, the study of the differentiation processes of which will determine the disorders underlying genetic diseases. With the help of these cells, it is also possible to study the influence of mutations underlying genetic diseases on the processes of differentiation of specialized cells.
An important advantage of amniotic stem cells is their availability during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the possibility of cultivating large populations of cells. The authors note that it remains to be seen whether these cells are as plastic as embryonic stem cells, but the results obtained to date are very encouraging.
In the article, Atala refrained from calling the studied cells pluripotent, which means the ability to give rise to different types of cells. However, he notes that these cells meet a number of pluripotency criteria and, unlike embryonic stem cells, do not form tumors when injected into the body of animals. This indicates the possibility of using amniotic stem cells for cell therapy.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on EurekAlert materials: New research shows versatility of amniotic fluid stem cells.
25.11.2009