| Abstract [eng] |
As the maternal age increases, so does the risk of chromosomal, genetic diseases and miscarriages. Stem cells, including amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs), could be used for therapeutic purposes during the prenatal or neonatal period. During the work presented in the dissertation, the characteristics and the adipogenic, osteogenic, myogenic and neurogenic differentiation potential were investigated and compared in AFSCs of healthy and fetus affected gestations. We have demonstrated that AFSCs of healthy gestations (2nd trimester) and early gestations with fetal abnormalities (2nd trimester) are similar in their stem cell properties and differentiation potential towards all investigated lineages. Meanwhile, after examining AFSCs of healthy (2nd trimester) and polyhydramnios (fetal pathology, 3rd trimester) gestations, differences in stem cell gene and protein expression, metabolic and energetic cell phenotype, and the neural differentiation potential were established between the two sources of AFSCs. We have also determined that small molecules and their combinations could be used to improve the efficiency of neural differentiation in AFSCs. These studies are particularly relevant, since amniotic fluid is considered a very promising source of stem cells, and little is known about the potential of AFSCs derived from fetus affected gestations and their applicability as an autogenous source of stem cells in regenerative medicine. |
