Review
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Sep 26, 2014; 6(4): 404-420
Published online Sep 26, 2014. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v6.i4.404
Fetal stem cell transplantation: Past, present, and future
Tetsuya Ishii, Koji Eto
Tetsuya Ishii, Office of Health and Safety, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0808, Hokkaido, Japan
Koji Eto, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Shogoin Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
Author contributions: Ishii T investigated the reports on clinical trials and wrote the manuscript; Eto K assessed the analysis and revised the manuscript.
Supported by JSPS KAKENHI, No. 26460586(TI)
Correspondence to: Tetsuya Ishii, PhD, Office of Health and Safety, Hokkaido University, Kita8 Nishi5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0808, Hokkaido, Japan. tishii@general.hokudai.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-011-7062126 Fax: +81-011-7062295
Received: July 7, 2014
Revised: August 26, 2014
Accepted: August 30, 2014
Published online: September 26, 2014
Processing time: 79 Days and 18.7 Hours
Abstract

Since 1928, human fetal tissues and stem cells have been used worldwide to treat various conditions. Although the transplantation of the fetal midbrain substantia nigra and dopaminergic neurons in patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease is particularly noteworthy, the history of other types of grafts, such as those of the fetal liver, thymus, and pancreas, should be addressed as there are many lessons to be learnt for future stem cell transplantation. This report describes previous practices and complications that led to current clinical trials of isolated fetal stem cells and embryonic stem (ES) cells. Moreover, strategies for transplantation are considered, with a particular focus on donor cells, cell processing, and the therapeutic cell niche, in addition to ethical issues associated with fetal origin. With the advent of autologous induced pluripotent stem cells and ES cells, clinical dependence on fetal transplantation is expected to gradually decline due to lasting ethical controversies, despite landmark achievements.

Keywords: Fetal tissue; Fetal stem cells; Fetus, Embryonic stem cells; Transplantation; Clinical trials

Core tip: Based on the history of fetal stem cell transplantation since 1928, this article discusses strategies for transplantation, with a focus on donor cells, cell processing, and the therapeutic cell niche, in addition to ethical issues associated with fetal origin. We described the stream line to current clinical trials using fetal and embryonic stem cells based on Clinical. Trials. gov. Finally, we discussed the perspective of fetal stem cell transplantation.