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Related Concept Videos

Maintenance of the ES Cell State01:14

Maintenance of the ES Cell State

The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...
Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming01:29

Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming

Reprogramming alters the gene expression in somatic cells, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells over several generations. Scientists can reprogram cells by introducing genes for four transcription factors—Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) by viral or non-viral methods. These factors are also known as Yamanaka factors after Shinya Yamanaka, who first generated iPS cells using mouse skin cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for this...
Embryonic Stem Cells00:57

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
Embryonic Stem Cells00:58

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming01:24

Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:13

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different types of cells. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are post-mitotic—that is, they no longer divide. However, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they “de-differentiate” and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are also pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are therefore called induced pluripotent stem...

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Related Experiment Video

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Oct4GiP Reporter Assay to Study Genes that Regulate Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Maintenance and Self-renewal
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Oct4GiP Reporter Assay to Study Genes that Regulate Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Maintenance and Self-renewal

Published on: May 30, 2012

A molecular basis for human embryonic stem cell pluripotency.

Scott A Noggle1, Daylon James, Ali H Brivanlou

  • 1Laboratory of Molecular Vertebrate Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021-6399, USA.

Stem Cell Reviews
|December 5, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Human embryonic stem cells (HESCs) maintain self-renewal and differentiation potential. Research identifies key genes and signaling pathways, like Wnt and TGFbeta, crucial for HESC identity and early human development.

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Generation of Human Primordial Germ Cell-like Cells at the Surface of Embryoid Bodies from Primed-pluripotency Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
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A Simple Method to Identify Kinases That Regulate Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency by High-throughput Inhibitor Screening
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Generation of Human Primordial Germ Cell-like Cells at the Surface of Embryoid Bodies from Primed-pluripotency Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
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A Simple Method to Identify Kinases That Regulate Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency by High-throughput Inhibitor Screening
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A Simple Method to Identify Kinases That Regulate Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency by High-throughput Inhibitor Screening

Published on: May 12, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Stem cell biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Cellular signaling

Background:

  • Human embryonic stem cells (HESCs) possess self-renewal and differentiation capabilities, crucial for developmental studies and regenerative medicine.
  • Understanding the molecular basis of HESC identity is vital for their therapeutic applications and modeling early human development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in identifying molecular markers and pathways governing HESC identity.
  • To explore the role of specific signaling pathways (FGF, TGFbeta, Wnt) in maintaining pluripotency.
  • To investigate the impact of small molecule compounds on HESC signaling and pluripotency.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of gene expression patterns to define the molecular signature of pluripotent HESCs.
  • Experimental manipulation of signaling pathways using small molecule compounds.
  • Comparative analysis of mouse and human ESCs to identify species-specific differences.

Main Results:

  • Identification of a core set of genes, including those in FGF, TGFbeta, and Wnt pathways, that characterize the undifferentiated state of HESCs.
  • Demonstration of Wnt signaling's significant role in HESC pluripotency.
  • Evidence for TGFbeta signaling's necessity in maintaining the undifferentiated state of HESCs.
  • Highlighting distinct mechanisms in mouse versus human ESCs for maintaining pluripotency.

Conclusions:

  • Specific signaling pathways, notably Wnt and TGFbeta, are critical regulators of human embryonic stem cell pluripotency and identity.
  • Small molecule-based approaches offer insights into stem cell biology and can reveal species-specific differences.
  • This research advances the understanding of early human development and provides a foundation for cell-based therapies.