Scaffold Engineering Using the Amniotic Membrane



• Radwa Ayman Salah ;Hoda Elkhenany; Nagwa El-Badri


In this chapter, you will learn the structure of the human amniotic membrane (hAM) and its key functional characteristics, including the different types of hAM stem cells and their characteristics and functions. Furthermore, the chapter illustrates the differences between using an intact or decellularized hAM as a natural bioscaffold for tissue engineering. The development of the hAM as a three-dimensional (3D) cultural system is then explained as compared to the 2D cell culture system. Moreover, different methods to decellularize the hAM for bioscaffold applications will be demonstrated, including detailed sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment method to remove the enclosed epithelial and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) content.