Therapeutic/Technology: Technology
Force, Dimensionality and Stem Cell Fate
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are cells derived from human embryos early in development before their fate has been sealed. These cells grow and differentiate in response to a variety of stimuli to eventually give rise to all of the differentiated tissues in the body. By exploiting the remarkable potential of hESCs to differentiate into […]
Role of Chromatin Modifiers in Regulating Human Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency
The life of every human starts with a fertilized egg. This single cell starts to divide and, in a truly amazing process, gives rise to a developed human being. Although each cell of a developed organism is a progeny of this single zygote, and shares the same genetic information with every other cell, cells differentiate […]
Reprogramming Differentiated Human Cells to a Pluripotent State
If the therapeutic potential of human embryonic stem (ES) cells is to be realized, the ability to produce pluripotent stem cells with defined genetic backgrounds is essential. Pluripotent cells, through differentiation, have the ability to become any cell type. For basic and applied research, access to human ES cells derived from patients with specific diseases […]
Analysis of Candidate Neural Crest Cells Derived from Human ES Cells
Little is known about human Neurla Crest (NC) cells, a transient population of cells briefly present during very early human development; the reason why these cells are extremely difficult to obtain and study. In the model organism NC cells generate an amazing array of tissues, including peripheral and enteric nervous systems, cranial bones and cartilage, […]
Screening for Oncogenic Epigenetic Alterations in Human ES Cells
Embryonic stem cell-based therapies hold great promise for the treatment of many human diseases. These therapeutic strategies involve the culture and manipulation of embryonic stem cells grown outside the human body. Culture conditions outside the human body can encourage the development of changes to the cells that facilitate rapid and sustained cell growth. Some of […]
EC regeneration in cerebrovascular ischemia: role of NO
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in this country, affecting about 650,000 people in the US each year. Currently approved therapies for stroke are directed toward acutely restoring blood flow (using drugs that break up clot). A new approach is to use stem cells to regenerate portions […]
Profiling surface glycans and glycoprotein expression of human embryonic stem cells
Human embryonic stem cells can be changed into virtually any cell type in the adult body. Because of this unique capability, these cells have the potential to cure a vast majority of existing human disorders. Several hurdles exist, however, which need to be overcome before results from the exciting field of stem cell research can […]
Non-coding RNA as tool for the active control of stem cell differentiation
Stem cells are multipotent, meaning that they can develop into any cell type of the human body. Biomedical applications propose that, after introduction into humans, stem cells could replenish damaged or lost cells in human bodies and thereby cure human diseases such as Parkinson, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes. One prerequisite for the success of the biomedical […]
Transcriptional Regulation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic Stem (ES) cells can be grown indefinitely in the lab and can be turned into any cell type of the human body. Because of these properties, it may one day be possible to use ES cells to generate cell types in the lab that can then be transplanted into patients that need them. This […]
Sources of Genetic Instability in Human Embryonic Stem Cells.
The constant exposure of cells to endogenous and exogenous agents that inflict DNA damage requires active repair processes to eliminate potentially mutagenic events in stem cells leading to cancer. The same agents menace early human embryos with DNA damage that can ultimately lead to mutations, cancer, and birth defects. In vitro, human embryonic stem cells […]