Placental Cells and Derivatives: Advancing Clinical Translation

The placenta is an intriguing and mysterious organ, starting from its role during pregnancy. A temporary organ perceived as exhausted and normally discarded as biological waste, the placenta has sparked much attention from researchers and clinicians for its potential uses in regenerative medicine. Just over a decade ago, a few researchers had the notion that placental tissues such as the amniotic membrane, chorion, and umbilical cord tissue could contain cells with stem cell properties and therapeutic potential. Since then, scientific research is beginning to provide an understanding of the mechanisms through which placental tissues, cells, and their derived factors exert therapeutic actions in different preclinical disease models. Even more, this is an exciting moment in the history of placental cell research as we are at the dawn of investigating their safety and efficacy in several clinical trials.