International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Human Amniotic Epithelial Stem Cells: A Promising Seed Cell for Clinical Applications 1, 2, 1 1, 1, Chen Qiu y, Zhen Ge y, Wenyu Cui , Luyang Yu * and Jinying Li * 1 MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and College of Life Sciences-iCell Biotechnology Regenerative Biomedicine Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;
[email protected] (C.Q.);
[email protected] (W.C.) 2 Institute of Materia Medica, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310013, China;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] (L.Y.);
[email protected] (J.L.) These authors contributed equally. y Received: 31 August 2020; Accepted: 15 October 2020; Published: 19 October 2020 Abstract: Perinatal stem cells have been regarded as an attractive and available cell source for medical research and clinical trials in recent years. Multiple stem cell types have been identified in the human placenta. Recent advances in knowledge on placental stem cells have revealed that human amniotic epithelial stem cells (hAESCs) have obvious advantages and can be used as a novel potential cell source for cellular therapy and clinical application. hAESCs are known to possess stem-cell-like plasticity, immune-privilege, and paracrine properties. In addition, non-tumorigenicity and a lack of ethical concerns are two major advantages compared with embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). All of the characteristics mentioned above and other additional advantages, including easy accessibility and a non-invasive application procedure, make hAESCs a potential ideal cell type for use in both research and regenerative medicine in the near future.