https://ijcih.mubabol.ac.ir/ International Journal of Complementary and Integrative Health en daily 1 Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0430 Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0430 https://ijcih.mubabol.ac.ir/article_741713.html The human placenta has long been the subject of scientific interest due to the important roles which it performsduring pregnancy in sustaining the fetus and maintaining fetomaternal tolerance. More recently, however,researchers have begun to investigate the possibility that the placenta’s utility may extend beyond fetaldevelopment to act as a source of cells with clinically relevant properties. Indeed, several groups have reportedthe isolation of cells from different placental regions which display both multilineage differentiation potentialand immunomodulatory properties in vitro. Furthermore, these cells have also been shown to secrete solublefactors involved in pathophysiological processes that may aid tissue repair. Cells with such features will clearlyfind application in the field of regenerative medicine for the repair/regeneration of damaged or diseased tissuesor organs.In line with these promising findings, several preclinical and clinical studies conducted to date argue in strongfavor of the therapeutic utility of placenta-derived cells for the treatment of several diseases. Although muchwork remains to be conducted in order to fully understand the properties of placental cells and the mechanismswhich underlie their beneficial effects in vivo, data reported to date nonetheless provide compelling evidence insupport of the placenta as a cell source for use in regenerative medicine.