TRASCET—Transamniotic Stem Cell Therapy

This is an overview of the current state of development of transamniotic stem cell therapy (TRASCET) as an emerging therapeutic paradigm for the treatment of many congenital anomalies based on the augmentation of the biological role of select populations of stem cells that occur in the amniotic fluid.

Mesenchymal, hematopoietic, and neural stem cells are or can be present in the amniotic fluid and have all been proven experimentally to be viable agents of TRASCET for different fetal and placental diseases. Various applications of this therapeutic concept are conceivable or currently under investigation, with experimental evidence of its efficacy already having been reported so far for the management of intrauterine growth restriction, gastroschisis, spina bifida, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and select inherited metabolic disorders, including TRASCET-based gene therapy. As of this writing, TRASCET has yet to be reported clinically, though the first patient may be imminent.

TRASCET is arguably the least invasive form of fetal stem cell therapy. The practicality of a fetal intervention amenable to be performed as an outpatient procedure should render TRASCET easily accessible to a sizeable proportion, if not the majority of pregnant women, and from a fairly early point in gestation, thus maximizing its potential impact.