Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from human fetal stem cells

• Cell fate is reversible.
• Cells in an earlier stage of development are easier to reprogramme to pluripotency.
• Human fetal stem cells from amniotic fluid can revert to functional pluripotency by manipulating culture conditions.

Pluripotency defines the ability of stem cells to differentiate into all the lineages of the three germ layers and self-renew indefinitely. Somatic cells can regain the developmental potential of embryonic stem cells following ectopic expression of a set of transcription factors or, in certain circumstances, via modulation of culture conditions and supplementation with small molecule, that is, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Here, we discuss the use of fetal tissues for reprogramming, focusing in particular on stem cells derived from human amniotic fluid, and the development of chemical reprogramming. We next address the advantages and disadvantages of deriving pluripotent cells from fetal tissues and the potential clinical applications.