Mesengenic progenitor cells derived from human placenta

Progenitor cells with differentiation capacity along multiple mesengenic lineages are attractive tools for numerous purposes in regenerative medicine. Such mesengenic progenitor cells have been isolated from adult mammalian bone marrow, and we here report placental tissue as an alternative source for these cells. By means of dissection/proteinase digestion techniques, high numbers of viable mononuclear cells were harvested from human placenta at term, and a mesenchymal cell population with characteristic expression of CD9, CD29, and CD73 was obtained in culture. The in vitro growth behavior of such placenta-derived mesengenic cells was similar to that of human bone marrow mesengenic progenitor cells. After in vitro propagation for more than three passages the cells were exclusively of maternal origin. Differentiation experiments showed differentiation potential along osteogenic, chondrogenic, adipogenic, and myogenic lineages. In conclusion, we propose human term placenta as an easily accessible, ample source of multipotent mesengenic progenitor cells.