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Isolation, Cryopreservation and Culture of Human Amnion Epithelial Cells for Clinical Applications
Published on: December 21, 2014
The amniotic fluid as a source of cells for fetal tissue engineering
A Kaviani1, T E Perry, A Dzakovic
1Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Fegan 3, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Journal of Pediatric Surgery
|October 31, 2001
Summary
Mesenchymal cells from amniotic fluid can be isolated and rapidly expanded for tissue engineering. These cells successfully form dense fetal tissue constructs on a scaffold, offering a practical cell source.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Tissue Engineering
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Amniotic fluid contains fetal cells with potential for regenerative medicine.
- Identifying and characterizing these cells is crucial for tissue engineering applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if fetal tissue constructs can be engineered from cells within the amniotic fluid.
- To investigate the feasibility of using amniotic fluid-derived cells for tissue regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and selective expansion of morphologically distinct cells from ovine amniotic fluid.
- Immunofluorescent staining for lineage determination and proliferation assays.
- Seeding expanded amniocytes onto a polyglycolic acid/poly-4-hydroxybutyrate scaffold for construct analysis.
Main Results:
- Expanded amniocytes exhibited a mesenchymal, fibroblast/myofibroblast lineage.
- These cells proliferated significantly faster in vitro than comparable fetal and adult cells.
- Construct analysis revealed dense, confluent cell layers firmly attached to the scaffold without cell death.
Conclusions:
- Mesenchymal cells can be consistently isolated from amniotic fluid.
- Amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal cells demonstrate superior proliferation rates in vitro.
- These cells adhere well to scaffolds, indicating potential for fetal tissue engineering.
