Stem cells, also from amniotic fluid

2007/03/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Medikuntza

At the School of Medicine at Wake Forest University, they have managed to extract amniotic fluid from pregnant women and grow some of their cells in the laboratory. They have seen that these cells can become a large number of stem cells. Transplanted to the mice, they immediately began to double and perform the functions of the cells of the organs that transplanted them.

Scientists believe these cells can be used for certain treatments. For example, if a child who has not yet been born had a disease detected, they could remove amniotic stem cells and produce in the laboratory the tissue the child would need to be ready for birth.

In addition, amniotic fluid can also be collected at the time of delivery and stored so that stem cells can be removed in the same way as umbilical cord cells. One of the aims of researchers is to get as many stem cell sources as possible to use the most appropriate stem cells with each patient.