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Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis
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Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis

Published on: February 16, 2015

Growth factors and apoptosis

M Granérus1, W Engström

  • 1Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala.

Cell Proliferation
|June 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Cellular apoptosis, crucial for development, can be reversed in human embryonic stem cells using specific growth factors. Acidic and basic FGFs prevent apoptosis, while TGF-beta has no effect.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Stem Cell Research

Background:

  • Apoptosis is a key mechanism for programmed cell death and tissue development.
  • Human teratoma cell line Tera 2 exhibits characteristics of human embryonic stem cells.
  • Serum reduction in culture medium induces apoptosis in Tera 2 cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of growth factors in regulating apoptosis in Tera 2 cells.
  • To determine if specific growth factors can reverse serum-induced apoptosis.
  • To compare the effects of FGFs and TGF-beta on Tera 2 cell apoptosis.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the human teratoma cell line Tera 2.
  • Induced apoptosis by reducing serum concentration in cell culture.
  • Replaced serum with heparin-binding growth factors: acidic FGF and basic FGF.
  • Administered transforming growth factors (TGF-beta 1-3) to assess their effects.

Main Results:

  • Replacing serum with acidic FGF and basic FGF reversed apoptosis in Tera 2 cells.
  • Neither acidic FGF nor basic FGF affected cell growth.
  • Transforming growth factors (TGF-beta 1-3) did not influence growth or apoptosis in Tera 2 cells.

Conclusions:

  • Heparin-binding growth factors (FGFs) can inhibit apoptosis in human embryonic stem cell-like Tera 2 cells.
  • FGFs offer a potential method to control apoptosis during early development or in stem cell applications.
  • TGF-beta is not involved in regulating apoptosis in this specific cellular model.

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