Scale‐Up of Human Amniotic Epithelial Cells Through Regulation of Epithelial‐Mesenchymal Plasticity Under Defined Conditions (Adv. Sci. 11/2025)

Human Amniotic Epithelial Cells Human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) originate from the amniotic ectoderm. The proliferation of hAECs during the embryonic development is related to their epithelial mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) properties, which is lost in hAECs from full-term amnion. During culture, hAECs can rapidly acquire EMP properties through the epithelialmesenchymal transition and thereby acquire the ability to proliferate. But excessive mesenchymal transition can cause cells to lose their epithelial morphology and undergo senescence. By combining SB431542 in a microcarrier system, the EMP properties of hAECs can be effectively maintained, thereby achieving large-scale expansion of hAECs. More details can be found in article number 2408581 by Weiqing Zhou, Wencheng Zhang, Zhiying He, and coworkers.