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A plethora of human pluripotent stem cells
Liyang Gao1, Karuppiah Thilakavathy, Norshariza Nordin
1Clinical Genetics Unit, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Cell Biology International
|April 27, 2013
Summary
This review explores pluripotent stem cells, including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), alongside potentially pluripotent cells like VSELs and AFSCs, examining their key features and pluripotency evidence.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Pluripotency is the ability of cells to differentiate into all cell types derived from the three primary germ layers.
- Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are established as truly pluripotent.
- Emerging research identifies other cell types exhibiting pluripotentiality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and summarize the key features of six types of pluripotent and potentially pluripotent stem cells.
- To present the evidence supporting the pluripotency properties of these cell types.
- To provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of stem cell pluripotency.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent studies on pluripotent and potentially pluripotent stem cells.
- Comparative analysis of the characteristics and pluripotency evidence for ESCs, iPSCs, VSELs, AFSCs, MIAMI, and MAPCs.
- Synthesis of key findings regarding the pluripotency of various stem cell populations.
Main Results:
- Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) demonstrate true pluripotency.
- Very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs), amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs), marrow-isolated adult multilineage inducible cells (MIAMI), and multipotent adult precursor cells (MAPCs) show varying degrees of pluripotentiality.
- Evidence for the pluripotency of these diverse cell types is presented and discussed.
Conclusions:
- A range of stem cell types, beyond ESCs and iPSCs, exhibit pluripotency or pluripotentiality.
- Understanding the distinct properties of these cells is crucial for advancing stem cell research and applications.
- Further investigation is warranted to fully elucidate the pluripotency potential and therapeutic applications of VSELs, AFSCs, MIAMI, and MAPCs.
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