Review: Preclinical studies on placenta-derived cells and amniotic membrane: an update

Recent years have seen considerable advances in our knowledge of the biology and properties of stem/progenitor cells isolated from placental tissues. This has encouraged researchers to address the potential effects of these cells in animal models of different diseases, resulting in increasing expectations regarding their possible utility for cell-based therapeutic applications. This rapidly evolving research field is also enriched by studies aimed at expanding the use of the whole amniotic membrane (AM), a well-known surgical material, for pathological conditions other than those tested so far and for which clinical applications already exist. In this review, we provide an update on studies that have been performed with placenta-derived cells and fragments of the entire AM to validate their potential clinical applications in a variety of diseases, in particular those associated with degenerative processes induced by inflammatory and fibrotic mechanisms. We also offer, as far as possible, insight into the interpretation and suggested mechanisms to explain the most important outcomes achieved to date.