Dr Paolo de Coppi, UCL Institute of Child Health
Stem cells found in amniotic fluid can be transformed into a more versatile state similar to embryonic stem cells, according to a study published today in the journal Molecular Therapy . Scientists from the UCL Institute of Child Health and Imperial College London succeeded in reprogramming amniotic fluid cells without having to introduce extra genes. The findings raise the possibility that stem cells derived from donated amniotic fluid could be stored in banks and used for therapies and in research, providing a viable alternative to the limited embryonic stem cells currently available. Amniotic fluid surrounds and nourishes the fetus in the womb. It can be extracted through the mother's abdomen using a needle in a process called amniocentesis, which is sometimes used to test for genetic diseases. The fluid contains stem cells that come from the fetus. These cells have a more limited capacity to develop into different cell types than stem cells in the embryo.
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