Neurogenic characteristics of placental stem cells in preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE: Preeclampsia is associated with perinatal brain injury. Autologous placenta stem cell transplantation represents a promising future treatment option for neuroregeneration. The aim of this study was to compare the neuroregenerative capacity of preeclampsia-placenta stem cells to previously characterized placentas from uncomplicated pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN: Placenta stem cells from amnion (epithelium, mesenchyme) and chorion were assessed for cell surface markers and the formation of neuronal-like cells, oligodendrocytes and their progenitors in culture. RESULTS: Markers of preeclampsia-placenta stem cells were different from uncomplicated pregnancies-placenta stem cells in amnion epithelium and chorion, but not in amnion mesenchyme. Similarly to uncomplicated pregnancies-placenta stem cells, preeclampsia-placenta stem cells derived from amnion and chorion differentiated preferably into nestin-positive stem/progenitor cells and Tuj-1-positive neurons. However, other important markers were varying after neurogenic differentiation of uncomplicated pregnancies- and preeclampsia-placenta stem cells. CONCLUSION: Surface marker expression patterns of preeclampsia-placenta stem cell's and uncomplicated pregnancies- placenta stem cell's differ. In vitro differentiation assays, however, provide evidence that both preeclampsia-placenta stem cells and uncomplicated pregnancies- placenta stem cells are comparably suitable for neuroregeneration purposes.