– Scientists in the UK have grown mini organs called organoids from cells found in amniotic fluid, the fluid surrounding the fetus in the womb.
– Amniotic fluid is routinely collected from pregnant women for prenatal testing. The researchers collected cells from amniotic fluid samples taken from 12 pregnancies between weeks 11-19.
– They were able to derive stem cells from the fluid that came from lung, kidney, and intestine tissues. These stem cells were naturally shed by the fetus during development.
– Growing organoids from amniotic fluid cells allows research on later stage fetal development compared to using cells from abortions. It also avoids regulatory issues around using cells directly from fetal tissue.
– As a proof of concept, they studied a lung condition called congenital diaphragmatic hernia using organoids. This could help better understand and treat conditions prenatally.
– Researchers believe this approach could open new possibilities for monitoring congenital conditions and developing personalized prenatal therapies using cells from the fetus itself. But more research is still needed to validate clinical applications.
Source: apnews
