Meeting report of the first conference of the International Placenta Stem Cell Society (IPLASS)

Abstract

The International Placenta Stem Cell Society (IPLASS) was founded in June 2010. Its goal is to serve as a network for advancing research and clinical applications of stem/progenitor cells isolated from human term placental tissues, including the amnio-chorionic fetal membranes and Wharton's jelly. The commitment of the Society to champion placenta as a stem cell source was realized with the inaugural meeting of IPLASS held in Brescia, Italy, in October 2010. Officially designated as an EMBO-endorsed scientific activity, international experts in the field gathered for a 3-day meeting, which commenced with “Meet with the experts” sessions, IPLASS member and board meetings, and welcome remarks by Dr. Ornella Parolini, President of IPLASS. The evening's highlight was a keynote plenary lecture by Dr. Diana Bianchi. The subsequent scientific program consisted of morning and afternoon oral and poster presentations, followed by social events. Both provided many opportunities for intellectual exchange among the 120 multi-national participants. This allowed a methodical and deliberate evaluation of the status of placental cells in research in regenerative and reparative medicine. The meeting concluded with Dr. Parolini summarizing the meeting's highlights. This further prepared the fertile ground on which to build the promising potential of placental cell research. The second IPLASS meeting will take place in September 2012 in Vienna, Austria. This meeting report summarizes the thought-provoking lectures delivered at the first meeting of IPLASS.

Human amnion favours tissue repair by inducing the M1-to-M2 switch and enhancing M2 macrophage features

“…Therefore, modulating macrophage activities has been designed as a new therapeutic approach to promote tissue regeneration (Sica and Mantovani, ). The fact that hAMTCs and CM could switch the differentiation of pro‐inflammatory M1‐macrophages into a M2 anti‐inflammatory/immune‐suppressive phenotype could reveal the beneficial effects observed in different in vivo models (Parolini et al , ; Silini et al , ). Indeed, macrophage‐mediated resolution has been observed after treatment with amniotic‐derived cells or MSCs from different sources in liver fibrosis (Manuelpillai et al , ), multiple sclerosis (Liu et al , ), lung fibrosis (Murphy et al , ; Cargnoni et al , ; Tan et al , ), tendon lesions (Mauro et al , ) and skin wound healing (Zhang et al , ).…”

“…In recent years, increasing evidence has demonstrated that cells isolated from the amniotic membrane of human term placenta possess interesting immunomodulatory properties that make them an attractive tool for the cellular treatment of immune‐related disorders. Indeed, we and others have demonstrated that human amniotic mesenchymal cells (hAMSCs) and epithelial cells (hAECs), as well as conditioned medium (CM) derived from their culture, possess anti‐inflammatory and anti‐proliferative properties that affect cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems (Parolini et al , ). These properties include the in vitro ability to suppress T cell proliferation (Li et al , ; Wolbank et al , ; Magatti et al , ; Rossi et al , ; Pianta et al , ).…”

Amnion-derived stem cell transplantation: A novel treatment for neurological disorders

“…Among these are the promotion of reepithelization, the modulation of cell differentiation and formation of new vessels, and a reduction in fibrosis, apoptosis, and inflammation. [ 14 15 16 17 ] Currently, amnion-derived tissues have been obtained with the objective of using them in the clinical field. These are widely used for skin burns and wound healing in traumatology and general surgery.…”

Translating amniotic fluid-derived stem cells for transplantation in stroke

“…Several investigations have evaluated the differentiation potential of cells from both the amnion and amniotic fluid, demonstrating that these cells exhibit high plasticity [1]. The majority of studies target amnion stem cells, revealing their tendency to promote re-epithelization, modulate differentiation and angiogenesis, and reduce inflammation, apoptosis, and fibrosis following transplantation [1][2][3][4]. Accumulating evidence have now similarly shown stemness of the lesser studied amniotic fluid-derived stem cells (AFSCs).…”