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Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Oct4GiP Reporter Assay to Study Genes that Regulate Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Maintenance and Self-renewal
Published on: May 30, 2012
Different flavors of pluripotency, molecular mechanisms, and practical implications
Christa Buecker1, Niels Geijsen
1Center for Regenerative Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, CPZN-4256, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Abstract:
Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have been classified into two distinct states: a primitive, naive LIF-dependent state represented by murine ESCs, and a primed bFGF-dependent state observed in murine and rat epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs). The vast similarities between EpiSCs and human ESCs suggest that, despite their blastocyst origin, human ESCs exist in a primed pluripotent state. Recent findings demonstrate that the naive and primed pluripotent states are interconvertible, even in human cells, and hint that growth factor-mediated Nanog expression may be an important factor regulating the balance between them.
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