Abstract
Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are already transforming our vision of regenerative medicine and cell replacement therapies because of their unique ability to maintain themselves indefinitely and to form all cell types in the body. hES cell lines with genomes that are predisposed to disease can be used to develop cellular models of human pathologies. The generation of disease‐specific and/or genotypically diverse human stem cell lines that can differentiate into many cell types will have great value for understanding the biology of the cell types affected in disease and analysing disease mechanisms, screening for drug candidates that can slow or prevent disease‐related degeneration as well as toxicological testing and understanding the variation between patients in their responses to therapeutics. In addition, to prepare for cell‐based therapies, new technologies for the generation of stem cell lines that are histocompatible with or specific to individual patients will provide a strategy to overcome the challenges of immune rejection. Several different methods have been developed to make hES cells; to date, these all require the use of human female egg cells as a starting point. Recently, several laboratories have reported that adult cells from human skin and other sources can be induced to revert back to earlier stages of development and exhibit stem cell‐like properties. The methods for ‘reprogramming’ have been developing rapidly but generally involve putting multiple genes into skin cells and then exposing them to specific chemical environments tailored to hES cell growth. While these cells appear to have a developmental potential that is similar to that of hES cells, they are not derived from human embryos. To distinguish these reprogrammed cells from the embryo‐sourced hES cells, they are termed induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The iPS technology is the source of much optimism; »The iPS technology is the source of much …
Highlights
Several different methods have been developed to make Human embryonic stem (hES) cells; to date, these all require the use of human female egg cells as a starting point
The generation of diseasespecific and/or genotypically diverse human stem cell lines that can differentiate into many cell types will have great value for understanding the biology of the cell types affected in disease and analysing disease mechanisms, screening for drug candidates that can slow or prevent disease-related degeneration as well as toxicological testing and understanding the variation between patients in their responses to therapeutics
The induced pluripotent stem (iPS) technology is the source of much optimism; iPS cells appear to have the same applications in terms of regenerative medicine as hES cells with the added advantage that they can potentially be generated from any particular individual, whatever its age or condition, without the need to use or create fertilized eggs
Summary
Several different methods have been developed to make hES cells; to date, these all require the use of human female egg cells as a starting point. HES cell lines with genomes that are predisposed to disease can be used to develop cellular models of human pathologies. The generation of diseasespecific and/or genotypically diverse human stem cell lines that can differentiate into many cell types will have great value for understanding the biology of the cell types affected in disease and analysing disease mechanisms, screening for drug candidates that can slow or prevent disease-related degeneration as well as toxicological testing and understanding the variation between patients in their responses to therapeutics.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
