Extra Embryonic Fetal Tissue Derived Stem Cells

Embryonic stem cells have been popular for their pluripotency, that is, the ability to form almost all kinds of body cells. However, fetal stem cells derived from extra-embryonic tissue also have clinical applications. Extra-embryonic tissue sources of stem cells include umbilical cord, placenta, and amnion. The advantage of extra-embryonic tissue is that it is discarded after childbirth, thus facilitating the non-invasive and easy isolation of stem cells in large quantities. The first extra-embryonic fetal tissue-derived stem cells were hematopoietic stem cells. Umbilical cord has been widely used for the extraction of hematopoietic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells. These stem cells exhibit higher differentiation potential and are employed in clinical studies.