Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 13, 2026
10:24
Transfecting and Nucleofecting Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: October 5, 2011
22.0K
Induced Tissue-Specific Stem Cells and Epigenetic Memory in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Hirofumi Noguchi1, Chika Miyagi-Shiohira2, Yoshiki Nakashima3
1Department of Regenerative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan. noguchih@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|March 22, 2018
Summary
Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and induced tissue-specific stem (iTS) cells retain epigenetic memory from their origin. This memory influences their differentiation, offering potential for disease treatment.
Area of Science:
- Stem Cell Biology
- Epigenetics
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Embryonic stem (ES) cells face ethical concerns, driving research into alternatives like induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.
- iPS cells share similarities with ES cells in gene expression and epigenetic marks.
- Epigenetic memory is inherited during iPS cell reprogramming, influencing their characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the phenomenon of epigenetic memory in iPS and iTS cells.
- To explore the clinical applications of iPS and iTS cells in disease treatment.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on iPS and iTS cell reprogramming.
- Description of the "epigenetic memory" concept in stem cells.
- Discussion of induced tissue-specific stem (iTS) cell generation via transient reprogramming factor overexpression and tissue-specific selection.
Main Results:
- iPS cells exhibit epigenetic memory, inheriting traits from parental cells.
- Induced tissue-specific stem (iTS) cells are generated by combining reprogramming factors with tissue-specific selection.
- iTS cells retain epigenetic memory from donor tissue and gain self-renewal capacity.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic memory in iPS and iTS cells influences their differentiation potential.
- This skewed differentiation may be advantageous for generating specific cell types for therapeutic use.
- iPS and iTS cells hold promise for treating human diseases by overcoming differentiation challenges.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
28.1K
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...
28.1K
01:06Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
5.6K
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic...
Somatic...
5.6K
00:58Embryonic Stem Cells
32.6K
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.
32.6K
00:57Embryonic Stem Cells
5.2K
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...
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...
5.2K
01:33Adult Stem Cells
33.9K
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce more stem cells or progenitor cells that differentiate into mature, specialized cell types. All the cells in the body are generated from stem cells in the early embryo, but small populations of stem cells are also present in many adult tissues including the bone marrow, brain, skin, and gut. These adult stem cells typically produce the various cell types found in that tissue—to replace cells that are damaged or to continuously...
33.9K
01:23Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells
2.1K
After cellular or tissue damage, the resident stem cells present in the human body can locally repair and regenerate the damaged tissue or organ. However, even though some tissues do not have stem cells, they can repair and regenerate with the help of pre-existing cells. For example, beta cells of the pancreas and hepatocytes of the liver can divide to renew and regenerate the tissue. Here, both cell division and cell death are well regulated by homeostasis.
However, failure of such a system...
However, failure of such a system...
2.1K