Submitted October 3, 2008
Accepted February 1, 2009
Human and murine amniotic fluid c-Kit+Lin- cells display hematopoietic activity
Andrea Ditadi, Paolo de Coppi, Olivier Picone, Laetitia Gautreau, Rim Smati, Emmanuelle Six, Delphine Bonhomme, Sophie Ezine, Rene Frydman, Marina Cavazzana-Calvo*, and Isabelle Andre-Schmutz
INSERM, U768, Paris, France
Stem Cell Processing Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
AP-HP Gynecology & Obstetrics Department, Antoine Beclere Hospital, Clamart, France
University of Paris Rene Descartes, Faculty of Medicine, Paris, France
INSERM U591, Paris, France
University of Paris-Sud, Clamart, France
AP-HP, Necker Children's Hospital, Biotherapy Department, Paris, France
* Corresponding author; email: m.cavazzana{at}nck.aphp.fr.
We have isolated c-Kit+ Lin- cells from both human and murine amniotic fluid (AF) and investigated their hematopoietic potential. In vitro, the c-Kit+ Lin- population in both species displayed a multilineage hematopoietic potential, as demonstrated by the generation of erythroid, myeloid and lymphoid cells. In vivo, cells belonging to all three hematopoietic lineages were found after primary and secondary transplantation of murine c-Kit+ Lin- cells into immunocompromised hosts - thus demonstrating these cells' ability to self-renew. Gene expression analysis of ckit+ cells isolated from murine AF confirmed these results. The presence of cells with similar characteristics in the surrounding amnion indicates the possible origin of AF c-Kit+ Lin- cells. This is the first report showing that cells isolated from the AF do have hematopoietic potential; our results support the idea that AF may be a new source of stem cells for therapeutic applications.
