Review Article
Alekhya ayalapuram, Shiva char
Abstract
Placenta is normally discarded after birth as medical waste, its procurement as a cell source is easy and raises no Ethical controversy. Progress in our understanding of the biology and properties of placenta-derived cells has encouraged researchers to investigate their effects in animal models of different diseases, with the ultimate aim of developing clinical applications based on the use of these cells. The placenta is a temporary feto-maternal organ that maintains feto-maternal tolerance and also harbor stem/progenitor cells with properties which make them attractive candidates for application in regeneration. The Amniotic Membrane( AM) represents the innermost layer of the placenta and is composed of a single epithelial layer, a thick basement membrane and an avascular stroma. Recent reports indicate that human Amniotic Membrane express stem cell markers and have the ability to differentiate toward all three germ layers. These properties, the ease of isolation of the cells, and the availability of placenta as a discard tissue, make the amnion a potentially useful and noncontroversial source of cells for transplantation and regenerative medicine. However, it has been demonstrated that different processing, storage and sterilization methods do affect Human Amniotic Membrane (HAM) properties. The aim of this review is to enlighten with differential regenerative potentials of freeze dry and cryopreserved HAM.