Derivation and maintenance of embryonic stem cell cultures

The ability to derive permanent tissue culture lines (1) of pluripotential stem cell lines (ES cells) from mouse embryos has provided a valuable model system for fundamental research into the cellular differentiation processes occuring in the normal embryo. Perhaps the most attractive feature of embryonic stem cell lines is that they can be manipulated to differentiate into a diversity of cell types either directly in the tissue culture dish or within the context of the normal developing embryo following their return to the embryonic environment.