More On Stem Cells From Amniotic Fluid
I've previously mentioned work to extract multipotent stem cells from amniotic fluid: "Scientists have discovered that amniotic fluid is a readily available source of stem cells and have used them to create muscle, bone, fat, blood vessel, nerve and liver cells in the laboratory. ... the newly discovered stem cells, which they have named amniotic fluid-derived stem (AFS) cells, may represent an intermediate stage between embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. ... The full range of cells that AFS cells can give rise to remains to be determined. So far, we've been successful with every cell type we've attempted to produce from these stem cells. The AFS cells can also produce mature cells that meet tests of function, which suggests their therapeutic value ... functional tests included implanting neural cells created from AFS cells into mice with a degenerative brain disease. The cells grew and 're-populated' the diseased areas. In addition, bone cells produced from the stem cells were successfully used to grow bony tissue in mice, and liver cells were able to secrete urea, which the liver produces from ammonia."
Link: http://www.stemcellresearchnews.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=449&z=5