Laboratory of Veterinary Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.
Cancer Gene Ther. 2012 Aug;19(8):517-22. doi: 10.1038/cgt.2012.30. Epub 2012 Jun 1.
As stem cells are capable of self-renewal and can generate differentiated progenies for organ development, they are considered as potential source for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement after injury or disease. Along with this capacity, stem cells have the therapeutic potential for treating human diseases including cancers. According to the origins, stem cells are broadly classified into two types: embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and adult stem cells. In terms of differentiation potential, ESCs are pluripotent and adult stem cells are multipotent. Amnion, which is a membranous sac that contains the fetus and amniotic fluid and functions in protecting the developing embryo during gestation, is another stem cell source. Amnion-derived stem cells are classified as human amniotic membrane-derived epithelial stem cells, human amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells and human amniotic fluid-derived stem cells. They are in an intermediate stage between pluripotent ESCs and lineage-restricted adult stem cells, non-tumorigenic, and contribute to low immunogenicity and anti-inflammation. Furthermore, they are easily available and do not cause any controversial issues in their recovery and applications. Not only are amnion-derived stem cells applicable in regenerative medicine, they have anticancer capacity. In non-engineered stem cells transplantation strategies, amnion-derived stem cells effectively target the tumor and suppressed the tumor growth by expressing cytotoxic cytokines. Additionally, they also have a potential as novel delivery vehicles transferring therapeutic genes to the cancer formation sites in gene-directed enzyme/prodrug combination therapy. Owing to their own advantageous properties, amnion-derived stem cells are emerging as a new candidate in anticancer therapy.
由于干细胞具有自我更新的能力，并且能够为器官发育产生分化后代，因此被认为是再生医学和组织替代的潜在来源，尤其是在受到损伤或疾病后。伴随着这种能力，干细胞具有治疗人类疾病（包括癌症）的治疗潜力。根据来源，干细胞大致可分为两种类型：胚胎干细胞（ESCs）和成人干细胞。就分化潜力而言，ESCs 是多能性的，而成人干细胞是多能性的。羊膜是一种包含胎儿和羊水的膜状囊，在妊娠期间保护发育中的胚胎，它也是另一种干细胞来源。羊膜衍生的干细胞分为人羊膜上皮干细胞、人羊膜间充质干细胞和人羊水干细胞。它们处于多能性 ESCs 和谱系受限的成人干细胞之间的中间阶段，具有非致瘤性，并有助于低免疫原性和抗炎作用。此外，它们易于获得，并且在回收和应用过程中不会引起任何争议问题。羊膜衍生的干细胞不仅适用于再生医学，而且具有抗癌能力。在非工程干细胞移植策略中，羊膜衍生的干细胞通过表达细胞毒性细胞因子有效地靶向肿瘤并抑制肿瘤生长。此外，它们还可以作为新型的输送载体，将治疗基因传递到基因导向酶/前药联合治疗中的癌症形成部位。由于其自身的优势特性，羊膜衍生的干细胞正在成为癌症治疗的新候选药物。
