GeneChip analysis of human embryonic stem cell differentiation into hemangioblasts: an in silico dissection of mixed phenotypes

Shi-Jiang Lu,Jennifer A Hipp,Robert Lanza,Anthony Atala,Jason D Hipp,Qiang Feng

doi:10.1186/gb-2007-8-11-r240

Abstract

Transcriptional profiling of human embryonic stem cells differentiating into blast cells reveals that erythroblasts are the predominant cell type in the blast cell population. In silico comparisons with publicly available data sets revealed the presence of endothelia, cardiomyocytes and hematopoietic lineages.

Highlights

Microarrays are being used to understand human embryonic stem cell differentiation
Genes up-regulated upon differentiation of embryonic stem cell (ESC) into embryoid bodie (EB) While the focus of this paper is to evaluate the pathways involved in hemangioblast differentiation, we begin by identifying those genes that were up-regulated in the early stage of differentiation into EBs from which blast cell (BC) were derived [21]
Level III analysis Genes enriched in BCs relative to leukocytes We identified 2,101 genes that were up-regulated in BCs relative to leukocytes (after removing genes that were enriched in both human embryonic stem cell (hESC) and BCs when compared to leukocytes (Additional data file 12)

Summary

Introduction

Microarrays are being used to understand human embryonic stem cell (hESC) differentiation. The establishment of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) raised the possibility of being able to treat/cure many human diseases that are nowadays untreatable. This therapeutic potential, largely relies on the efficient and controlled differentiation of hESCs towards a specific cell type and the generation of homogeneous cell populations. Umeda et al [19] identified the presence of CD34+/ KDR+ bipotential cells in non-human (Cynomolgus) ESCs. Kennedy et al [20] recently reported the generation of BLCFCs from hESCs. the rarity of the cells with hemangioblast properties both from adult tissues and from ESC systems precluded comprehensive analysis of gene expression and comparison with other populations

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion