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3. Embryonic Stem Cells
Pages 31-40

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From page 31...
... ESCs growing in this undifferentiated state retain the potential to differentiate into cells of all three embryonic tissue layers. Research involving human ESCs is at the center of the ethical debate about stem cell use and potential in regenerative medicine.
From page 32...
... The factors that permit the mouse ESC to continue replicating in the laboratory without differentiation and methods to trigger differentiation into different cell types that exhibit normal function have been actively explored. Among the types of cells derived from cultured mouse ESCs are fat cells, various brain and nervous system cells, insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, bone cells, hematopoietic cells, yolk sac, endothelial cells, primitive endodermal cells, and smooth and striated muscle cells, including cardiomyocytes heart muscle cells (Odorico et al., 2001~.
From page 33...
... Evidence of the differentiation in culture includes detection of the products of genes associated with different cell types and in some cases by the characteristic shapes that are peculiar to different cell types. Cells derived from human embryonic bodies include "rhythmically contracting cardiomyocytes, pigmented and nonpigmented epithelial cells, and neural cells displaying an exuberant outgrowth of axons and dendrites" (Odorico et al., 2001~.
From page 34...
... In vitro studies of ESCs also provide an opportunity to explore the role of biochemicals produced in the normal cellular environment that induce stem cells to differentiate, to migrate to a site needing repair, and to assimilate into tissues (Schuldiner et al., 2000~. EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE POTENTIAL OF ESCs FOR USE IN REGENERATIVE MEDICINE At the workshop, James Thomson and Thomas Okarma suggested that human ESCs will someday provide a potentially unlimited source of cells, differentiated in vitro, for transplantation therapies involving the liver, nervous system, and pancreas.
From page 35...
... Ron McKay described progress made in coaxing the in vitro differentiation of human ESCs into insuTin-oroducin~ cells that might be useful in treating 1 0 0 diabetes, but he also noted that studies have already been conducted with analogous mouse cells transplanted into mice that have diabetes and that partial restoration of insulin regulation was observed (Lumelsky et al., 2001~. Other studies have demonstrated that mouse ESCs can be successfully transplanted into rodents that have Parkinson's disease symptoms and partially relieve these symptoms (Studer et al., 1998~.
From page 36...
... Finally, it was noted earlier that the chromosomes of human ESCs have been shown to be stable in tissue culture. This does not mean however, that ESC lines wiD not be subject to the random mutations that affect all cell lines as they age.
From page 37...
... Embryonic Stem Cells Somatic Cell Nucleus Micropipet Enucleated Oocyte Transfer of Donated Nucleus Holding Pipet Zygote Cell Division Blastocyst Inner Cell Mass Cells from Inner Cell Mass Differentiation into Specific Cell and Tissue Types il ~ Cultured ESCs Other Cell Smooth Macrophage Neuron Adipocyte Types Muscle Cell FIGURE 4 Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT)
From page 38...
... It might someday be possible to add growth factors with a transplant to stimulate the production of a particular cell type or multiple cell types. "Inducer tissues" that interact with stem cells might be coo transplanted with ESCs to achieve a similar result.
From page 39...
... An exact genetic match between a transplant recipient and tissue generated from ESCs could also, in theory, be achieved by using somatic cell nuclear transfer to create histocompatible ESCs (Figure 4~. Cells created with this technique would overcome the problem of immune rejection.
From page 40...
... (1999~. Turning brain into blood: a hematopoietic fate adopted by adult neural stem cells in vivo.


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