Placental Tissues- From Reproductive to Regenerative Biology

The past decade has witnessed breakthrough advancements in the field of Regenerative medicine. With advancements in the knowledge and fabrication of tissue engineered constructs, complete regeneration of soft and hard tissues remains a farfetched goal. Stem cell therapy has emerged as one of the predictable; powerful tool to generate biological substitutes and regenerate damaged tissue with high proliferability, differentiability and function. Lately, much of the attention has been redirected to the placental tissues which are an abundant and reliable source of these multipotent stem cells. Various in vitro experimental studies and clinical trials have documented the role of amnion membrane in wound healing, transplantation and regenerative surgeries owing to its unparalleled biological and mechanical properties. However little research is done regarding the chorion membranes. This review highlights the potential of these fetal membranes as novel tissue engineered biomaterial.