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TRASCET—Transamniotic Stem Cell Therapy

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This is an overview of the current state of development of transamniotic stem cell therapy (TRASCET) as an emerging therapeutic paradigm for the treatment of many congenital anomalies based on the augmentation of the biological role of select populations of stem cells that occur in the amniotic fluid.

Recent Findings

Mesenchymal, hematopoietic, and neural stem cells are or can be present in the amniotic fluid and have all been proven experimentally to be viable agents of TRASCET for different fetal and placental diseases. Various applications of this therapeutic concept are conceivable or currently under investigation, with experimental evidence of its efficacy already having been reported so far for the management of intrauterine growth restriction, gastroschisis, spina bifida, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and select inherited metabolic disorders, including TRASCET-based gene therapy. As of this writing, TRASCET has yet to be reported clinically, though the first patient may be imminent.

Summary

TRASCET is arguably the least invasive form of fetal stem cell therapy. The practicality of a fetal intervention amenable to be performed as an outpatient procedure should render TRASCET easily accessible to a sizeable proportion, if not the majority of pregnant women, and from a fairly early point in gestation, thus maximizing its potential impact.

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Data Availability

No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Emily M. Scire & Dario O. Fauza

  2. Dept. of Surgery, Boston Children’s, 300 Longwood Avenue-Fegan 3, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Dario O. Fauza

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This review article was co-written by ES and DOF.

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This article does not contain any studies with human subjects performed by any of the authors. This article contains animal studies performed by the authors which were approved by Boston Children’s Hospital’s protocols 00001367, 00001369, 00001578, 00001580, 00001865, 00001981, and 00002058.

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Scire, E.M., Fauza, D.O. TRASCET—Transamniotic Stem Cell Therapy. Curr Stem Cell Rep (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40778-024-00234-x

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