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Related Concept Videos

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.
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...
Stem Cell Culture01:17

Stem Cell Culture

Stem cell research aims to find ways to use stem cells to regenerate and repair cellular damage. Over time, most adult cells undergo the wear and tear of aging and lose their ability to divide and repair themselves. Stem cells do not display a particular morphology or function. Adult stem cells, which exist as a small subset of cells in most tissues, keep dividing and can differentiate into a number of specialized cells generally formed by that tissue. These cells enable the body to renew and...

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Updated: May 17, 2026

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Based Developmental Toxicity Assays for Chemical Safety Screening and Systems Biology Data Generation
17:28

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Based Developmental Toxicity Assays for Chemical Safety Screening and Systems Biology Data Generation

Published on: June 17, 2015

The embryonic stem cell test.

Sjors H W Schulpen1, Aldert H Piersma

  • 1Laboratory for Health Protection Research-National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands. sjors.schulpen@rivm.nl

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|November 10, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The embryonic stem cell test offers an animal-free method to assess developmental toxicity. It monitors the inhibition of cardiomyocyte differentiation in mouse embryonic stem cells to identify potential hazards.

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Enrichment and Purging of Human Embryonic Stem Cells by Detection of Cell Surface Antigens Using the Monoclonal Antibodies TG30 and GCTM-2

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Last Updated: May 17, 2026

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Based Developmental Toxicity Assays for Chemical Safety Screening and Systems Biology Data Generation
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12:43

Enrichment and Purging of Human Embryonic Stem Cells by Detection of Cell Surface Antigens Using the Monoclonal Antibodies TG30 and GCTM-2

Published on: December 6, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Stem Cell Research

Background:

  • Developmental toxicity testing traditionally relies on animal models.
  • There is a growing need for reliable, animal-free alternative testing methods.
  • Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) offer a promising in vitro model for assessing developmental toxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the utility of the embryonic stem cell test (EST) as an animal-free method for developmental toxicity assessment.
  • To determine if inhibition of cardiomyocyte differentiation in ESCs can serve as a reliable endpoint for toxicity screening.

Main Methods:

  • Mouse embryonic stem cells were cultured using the hanging drop method to form embryoid bodies.
  • Embryoid bodies were plated and allowed to differentiate over 10 days.
  • Inhibition of cardiomyocyte differentiation was assessed by counting contracting myocardial foci under a microscope.

Main Results:

  • The embryonic stem cell test provides an animal-free approach to developmental toxicity testing.
  • Differentiation of cardiomyocytes from embryoid bodies was observable within 10 days.
  • Test compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit cardiomyocyte differentiation.

Conclusions:

  • The embryonic stem cell test is a viable animal-free alternative for assessing developmental toxicity.
  • Monitoring cardiomyocyte differentiation is a sensitive endpoint for detecting toxic effects.
  • This assay supports the reduction and replacement of animal testing in toxicology.