ArticleStem cell research & therapy2018
The presence of human mesenchymal stem cells of renal origin in amniotic fluid increases with gestational time.
Article in Stem cell research & therapy, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evidence for conserved expression of genes annotated as associated with brain-related biological processes in human podocytes and brain.BMC nephrology · 2026Article
- Amniotic fluid collected from vaginal birth as a source of stem cells for clinical applications and disease modeling.Stem cells translational medicine · 2025Article
- Menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stromal cell extracellular vesicles - a potential tool for tissue regeneration and disease detection.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025Review
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- Role of HRTPT in kidney proximal epithelial cell regeneration: Integrative differential expression and pathway analyses using microarray and scRNA-seq.Journal of cellular and molecular medicine · 2021Article
- Combined Effect of Anti-SSEA4 and Anti-Globo H Antibodies on Breast Cancer Cells.ACS chemical biology · 2021Article
- Amniotic fluid mesenchymal stromal cells from early stages of embryonic development have higher self-renewal potential.In vitro cellular & developmental biology. Animal · 2020Article
- The FGF, TGFβ and WNT axis Modulate Self-renewal of Human SIX2Scientific reports · 2020Article
- Fabrication of biocompatible porous scaffolds based on hydroxyapatite/collagen/chitosan composite for restoration of defected maxillofacial mandible bone.Progress in biomaterials · 2019Article
- Human mid-trimester amniotic fluid (stem) cells lack expression of the pluripotency marker OCT4A.Scientific reports · 2019Article
- Human iPSC-derived iMSCs improve bone regeneration in mini-pigs.Bone research · 2019Article
- Constructing an Isogenic 3D Human Nephrogenic Progenitor Cell Model Composed of Endothelial, Mesenchymal, and SIX2-Positive Renal Progenitor Cells.Stem cells international · 2019Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundEstablished therapies for managing kidney dysfunction such as kidney dialysis and transplantation are limited due to the shortage of compatible donated organs and high costs. Stem cell-based therapies are currently under investigation as an alternative treatment option. As amniotic fluid is composed of fetal urine harboring mesenchymal stem cells (AF-MSCs), we hypothesized that third-trimester amniotic fluid could be a novel source of renal progenitor and differentiated cells.
methodsHuman third-trimester amniotic fluid cells (AFCs) were isolated and cultured in distinct media. These cells were characterized as renal progenitor cells with respect to cell morphology, cell surface marker expression, transcriptome and differentiation into chondrocytes, osteoblasts and adipocytes. To test for renal function, a comparative albumin endocytosis assay was performed using AF-MSCs and commercially available renal cells derived from kidney biopsies. Comparative transcriptome analyses of first, second and third trimester-derived AF-MSCs were conducted to monitor expression of renal-related genes.
resultsRegardless of the media used, AFCs showed expression of pluripotency-associated markers such as SSEA4, TRA-1-60, TRA-1-81 and C-Kit. They also express the mesenchymal marker Vimentin. Immunophenotyping confirmed that third-trimester AFCs are bona fide MSCs. AF-MSCs expressed the master renal progenitor markers SIX2 and CITED1, in addition to typical renal proteins such as PODXL, LHX1, BRN1 and PAX8. Albumin endocytosis assays demonstrated the functionality of AF-MSCs as renal cells. Additionally, upregulated expression of BMP7 and downregulation of WT1, CD133, SIX2 and C-Kit were observed upon activation of WNT signaling by treatment with the GSK-3 inhibitor CHIR99201. Transcriptome analysis and semiquantitative PCR revealed increasing expression levels of renal-specific genes (e.g., SALL1, HNF4B, SIX2) with gestational time. Moreover, AF-MSCs shared more genes with human kidney cells than with native MSCs and gene ontology terms revealed involvement of biological processes associated with kidney morphogenesis.
conclusionsThird-trimester amniotic fluid contains AF-MSCs of renal origin and this novel source of kidney progenitors may have enormous future potentials for disease modeling, renal repair and drug screening.
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