Optimal placental physiology is critical for balanced fetal growth and development as well as for maternal well-being. The placenta maintains the complex relationship between mother and developing fetus by transferring nutrients and other factors necessary for successful pregnancy outcomes. The human placenta is an important source of stem cells for regenerative medicine. The placenta not only plays an important role in optimal fetal growth, but it also acts as a reservoir of different kinds of stem cells. Placental tissues originating during the first stages of embryonic development support the possibility that these tissues may contain cells which have retained the plasticity of the early embryonic cells from which they derive. The placenta is readily available in large amounts and stem cells are easily harvested without the donors suffering an intrusive surgical process. These features make placenta-derived stem cells a effective candidate for possible use in regenerative medicine.
For this Research Topic, Placental Physiology and Placental Derived Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine, we are soliciting original articles and reviews that address the current challenges in isolation, culture and maintenance of placenta-derived stem cells, as well as the potential for cell based therapeutics.
Optimal placental physiology is critical for balanced fetal growth and development as well as for maternal well-being. The placenta maintains the complex relationship between mother and developing fetus by transferring nutrients and other factors necessary for successful pregnancy outcomes. The human placenta is an important source of stem cells for regenerative medicine. The placenta not only plays an important role in optimal fetal growth, but it also acts as a reservoir of different kinds of stem cells. Placental tissues originating during the first stages of embryonic development support the possibility that these tissues may contain cells which have retained the plasticity of the early embryonic cells from which they derive. The placenta is readily available in large amounts and stem cells are easily harvested without the donors suffering an intrusive surgical process. These features make placenta-derived stem cells a effective candidate for possible use in regenerative medicine.
For this Research Topic, Placental Physiology and Placental Derived Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine, we are soliciting original articles and reviews that address the current challenges in isolation, culture and maintenance of placenta-derived stem cells, as well as the potential for cell based therapeutics.
