Placenta : The Tree of Life

Long regarded as biological waste, the placenta is gaining momentum as a viable product for clinical use. Due to their unique properties, placental cells and derivatives show great promise in curing various diseases. Utilizing contributions from world-renowned experts, Placenta: The Tree of Life considers the therapeutic potential of these cells. It examines new stem cell–based strategies and highlights recent studies that advance the range of treatment for a number of illnesses.

Emphasizing the potential research and therapeutic use of stem cells, the book discusses the development, structure, and functions of the human placenta. It introduces overall aspects of the immune system, explains some of the immune mechanisms during pregnancy, and shows the role of the placenta in these mechanisms. Current scientific research is presented that focuses on the mechanisms of action underlying the therapeutic benefit of cells isolated from different placental regions.

An exhaustive examination, this pivotal work:

• Considers how perinatal cells may represent an important source for cell therapy approaches in the near future, in both human and veterinary medicine



• Describes the clinical potential of placenta-derived cells in regenerative medicine―specifically in neurological disorders, metabolic liver diseases, inflammatory diseases, and autoimmune diseases



• Explains how cells isolated from different placental tissues share basic properties

Placenta: The Tree of Life summarizes the advantages of perinatal tissue as a source of cells with therapeutic potential and is designed for use in the study of genetics, stem cell science, placental function, reproductive biology, regenerative medicine, and related fields.

Ornella Parolini is founder and Director of Centro di Ricerca E.Menni, Fondazione Poliambulanza, a research center focused on placental stem cells and their potential therapeutic applications. Dr. Parolini and her team have pioneered the concept that the placenta harbors stem cells with unique immunomodulatory properties that are at the basis of the mechanisms promoting tissue regeneration after their transplantation. In 2009, Dr. Parolini was nominated as the first President of the International Placenta Stem Cell Society for her scholarly contributions and networking efforts in this field and was re-elected in 2014. She is author of over 120 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has several patents in the placenta stem cell field.

Antonietta R. Silini obtained her bachelor of science in microbiology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and PhD degree in life sciences from the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan, Italy, in collaboration with the Open University of London, UK. Her past research interests include cancer biology. Her current research interests include investigating placental stem cells and their potential therapeutic effects on different diseases, including cancer. Dr. Silini works at the Centro di Ricerca E.Menni, Fondazione Poliambulanza, Brescia, Italy, which is internationally recognized for its research and contributions in this field.