Cell Populations Isolated from Amnion, Chorion, and Wharton’s Jelly of Human Placenta.

The placenta represents an interesting source of cells with an intriguing potential, by virtue of the tissue properties acquired during embryological development and maintained during the perinatal period. Its embryological development, its metabolic role in the maternal-fetal interface, and its function in the maintenance of an “immunological sanctuary” have all raised considerable attention of researchers in placental tissue, which is usually considered as medical waste. In the attempt to find a source of adult stem cells able to overcome the limitations of research linked to the use of the embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and of some adult tissues that are not easily available, more and more research groups are looking to the human placenta and extraembryonic tissues (e.g., fetal membranes and umbilical cord) as potential sources of stem cells.