人羊膜上皮细胞的干细胞特征和临床应用潜力

Stem Cell Characteristics and the Therapeutic Potential of Human Amniotic Epithelial Cells

人羊膜上皮细胞(human amniotic epithelial cells,hAECs)是由胚胎第8天上胚层(epiblast)发育而来,先于胚胎三个胚层(外、中和内三个胚层)形成,故而仍然保留胚胎干细胞主要特征的分子标志物。以下,我们将回顾hAECs的胚胎干细胞样特征,同时具有间充质干细胞主要分子标志物表型,在分化潜能上介于胚胎干细胞和间充质干细胞之间。hAECs具有独特的免疫学特征和免疫调节特性,与胎儿具有免疫耐受不受母体免疫系统排斥有关,可以直接进行临床异体移植,无需免疫配型;同时具有治疗免疫性疾病的潜能。该文详细介绍了hAECs的各种临床前研究,最后介绍hAECs在临床上应用的潜力和部分临床研究结果。

Human amniotic epithelial cells(hAECs)originally derived the epiblast occurring around day 8 of pregnancy,before gastrulation establishes the three germ layers:ectoderm,mesoderm and endoderm,retain a high level of pluripotency as evidenced by the expression of embryonic stem cell(ESC)markers.In this review,hAECs’embryonic stem cell-like and mesenchymal stem cell(MSC)-like properties and markers are summarized.HAECs have the differentiation potential between ESC and MSC.hAECs have unique immunological and immunomodulatory properties,which are associated with fetal privilege to maternal immune system.So,hAECs can be directly used for clinical allografts without immunological matching,as well as with great promise in immune diseases treatment.Preclinical studies that demonstrated the therapeutic potentials of hAECs are discussed.At last,some related clinical trials are introduced.