Abstract
Murine embryonic stem (mES) cells are permanent tissue culture cell lines isolated from explanted blastocysts. mES cells share an unusual set of properties with the stem cells of germ cell tumours (EC cells). Both cell types can be cultured under conditions in which they cycle indefinitely, or in which they terminally differentiate into a variety of specialised cells. When undifferentiated mES or EC cells are returned to the preimplantation embryo they resume a normal programme of development and give rise to chimaeric animals. However, only mES cells give rise to germ-line contributions. In mice the importance of mES cells has been predominantly as a tool to effect very precise genetic changes in transgenic animals by manipulating mES cells in vitro prior to blastocyst injection. The differentiation of mES cells in vitro also gives rise to a wide range of differentiated cell types although this occurs in a much less organised manner than in the blastocyst. In vitro differentiation of mES cells suggests obvious therapeutic applications for ES cells in the treatment of degenerative and metabolic disease.KeywordsStem CellRegenerative MedicineHuman Embryonic Stem CellAdult Stem CellEmbryoid BodyThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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