Stem Cells and Pregnancy Disorders: From Pathological Mechanisms to Therapeutic Horizons.

Blastocyst implantation, placental development, and fetal growth are all dependent on the interactions between the developing placenta and the decidualized endometrium. Adult stem cell populations resident in both the placenta and endometrium play key roles in directing cell fate and tissue organization throughout pregnancy. As we begin to understand how these stem cell populations contribute to successful pregnancies, we can begin to ask what roles they play in the pathogenesis of pregnancy disorders from implantation failure and miscarriage through fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia. Furthermore, as our understanding of the therapeutic applications of stem cells in other organs rapidly expands, can we make stem cell therapies a clinical reality in obstetric medicine? This review aims to summarize our current understanding of the role reproductive stem cells play in pregnancy success, and how they may help us better understand the underlying pathogenesis of pregnancy disorders to offer novel therapeutic solutions in the future. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.