Renal differentiation of amniotic fluid stem cells: perspectives for clinical application and for studies on specific human genetic diseases.

BACKGROUND: Owing to growing rates of diabetes, hypertension and the ageing population, the prevalence of end-stage renal disease, developed from earlier stages of chronic kidney disease, and of acute renal failure is dramatically increasing. Dialysis and preferable renal transplantation are widely applied therapies for this incurable condition. However these options are limited because of morbidity, shortage of compatible organs and costs. Therefore, stem cell-based approaches are becoming increasingly accepted as an alternative therapeutic strategy. DESIGN: This review summarizes the current findings on the nephrogenic potential of amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells and their putative implications for clinical applications and for studies on specific human genetic diseases. RESULTS: Since their discovery in 2003, AFS cells have been shown to be pluripotent with the potential to form embryoid bodies. Compared to adult stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells or embryonic stem cells, AFS cells harbour a variety of advantages, such as their high differentiation and proliferative potential, no need for ectopic induction of pluripotency and no somatic mutations and epigenetic memory of source cells, and no tumourigenic potential and associated ethical controversies, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Recently, the results of different independent studies provided evidence that AFS cells could indeed be a powerful tool for renal regenerative medicine.