Isolation of mesenchymal stem cells of fetal or maternal origin from human placenta.

Recently we reported that second-trimester amniotic fluid (AF) is an abundant source of fetal mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In this study, we analyze the origin of these MSCs and the presence of MSCs in human-term AF. In addition, different parts of the human placenta were studied for the presence of either fetal or maternal MSCs.

Mesenchymal stem cells in human second-trimester bone marrow, liver, lung, and spleen exhibit a similar immunophenotype but a heterogeneous multilineage differentiation potential.

Background And Objectives: We previously found that human fetal lung is a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Here we characterize and analyze the frequency and function of MSC in other second-trimester fetal tissues.

Design And Methods: Single cell suspensions of fetal bone marrow (BM), liver, lung, and spleen were made and analyzed by flow cytometry for the expression of CD90, CD105, CD166, SH3, SH4, HLA-ABC, HLA-DR, CD34 and CD45.