scholarly journals Reprogramming somatic cells into stem cells

Reproduction ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 132 (5) ◽  
pp. 709-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramiro Alberio ◽  
Keith H Campbell ◽  
Andrew D Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Human Embryos ◽  
Cellular Manipulation ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Public Scrutiny ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Scientific Achievements

Recent scientific achievements in cell and developmental biology have provided unprecedented opportunities for advances in biomedical research. The demonstration that fully differentiated cells can reverse their gene expression profile to that of a pluripotent cell, and the successful derivation and culture of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have fuelled hopes for applications in regenerative medicine. These advances have been put to public scrutiny raising legal, moral and ethical issues which have resulted in different levels of acceptance. Ethical issues concerning the use of cloned human embryos for the derivation of stem cells have stimulated the search for alternative methods for reversing differentiated cells into multi/pluripotent cells. In this article, we will review the present state of these reprogramming technologies and discuss their relative success. We also overview reprogramming events after somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), as they may further instructex ovostrategies for cellular manipulation.

scholarly journals Ethics in stem cell research

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18
Author(s):  
Md Fakruddin
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cell ◽  
Stem Cell Research ◽  
Human Embryonic Stem Cell ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cell Research ◽  
Human Embryos

Stem cells have constituted a revolution in regenerative medicine and cancer therapies by providing the possibility of generating multiple therapeutically useful cell types that could be used for treating some of genetic and degenerative disorders. However, human embryonic stem cell research raises few ethical and political controversies because of its involvement in destruction of human embryos. The ethical issues in human embryonic stem cell research encompasses not only with question of the ethics of destroying human embryos, but also with questions about complicity of researchers in destruction of embryos, moral distinction between creating embryos for research purposes and creating them for reproductive ends and the permissibility of cloning human embryos to harvest stem cells. Bangladesh should formulate its own regulations justifying its stand regarding this matter. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bioethics.v3i1.10867 Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2012; 3(1):13-18

scholarly journals Stem Cells Research: Therapeutic Potentials and Ethical Issues from Islamic Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Che Anuar Che Mohamad ◽  
Abdurezak Abdullahi Hashi
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Human Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell Research ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Human Embryos ◽  
Muslim Community ◽  
Cord Injury

The advancement in human stem cell research has promised a viable alternative treatment for a range of ‘incurable diseases’ such as neurological diseases. To date, several studies have documented substantial evidences on the therapeutic properties of stem cells in promoting repair in different diseases including common neurological disorders i.e. ischaemic stroke and spinal cord injury. However, the progress of stem cell research has been surrounded by ethical issues which largely due to the usage of human embryos as one of the sources. These embryonic stem cells which originally derived from human embryo of aborted foetus or already existing human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) lines, has sparked an intense moral and religious argument among people of various faith, including Muslim community. From the therapeutic point of view, amongst the currently available stem cells, hESCs show the greatest potential for the broadest range of cell replacement therapies and are regarded as the most commercially viable. This review focuses on the major ethical issues, particularly to Muslim community, related to human embryonic stem cells research with special emphasis on the moral status of the embryo and the beginning of life according to the Islamic ethics and rulings. In this paper, we also discuss some ethical positions towards embryonic stem cell research in the Islamic world, including official regulations existing in some Muslim countries. We examine the justification and the necessity on the usage of hESCs following the newly discovered Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPSCs) in the laboratory. In addition, we supplement the discussions with the general views and positions from the other two Abrahamic religions i.e. Christianity and Judaism.

scholarly journals Embryoid research calls for reassessment of legal regulations

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Hengstschläger ◽  
Margit Rosner
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Human Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Human Embryos ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Legal Regulations ◽  
Definition Of

AbstractIt is known that in countries, in which basic research on human embryos is in fact prohibited by law, working with imported human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can still be permitted. As long as hESCs are not capable of development into a complete human being, it might be the case that they do not fulfill all criteria of the local definition of an embryo. Recent research demonstrates that hESCs can be developed into entities, called embryoids, which increasingly could come closer to actual human embryos in future. By discussing the Austrian situation, we want to highlight that current embryoid research could affect the prevailing opinion on the legal status of work with hESCs and therefore calls for reassessment of the regulations in all countries with comparable definitions of the embryo.

scholarly journals Characterization of Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Revealed Increased Susceptibility to Cell Death upon ER Stress

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1078
Author(s):  
Tae Won Ha ◽  
Ji Hun Jeong ◽  
HyeonSeok Shin ◽  
Hyun Kyu Kim ◽  
Jeong Suk Im ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Pluripotent Stem Cells ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Human Pluripotent Stem Cells ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), have a well-orchestrated program for differentiation and self-renewal. However, the structural features of unique proteostatic-maintaining mechanisms in hPSCs and their features, distinct from those of differentiated cells, in response to cellular stress remain unclear. We evaluated and compared the morphological features and stress response of hPSCs and fibroblasts. Compared to fibroblasts, electron microscopy showed simpler/fewer structures with fewer networks in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of hPSCs, as well as lower expression of ER-related genes according to meta-analysis. As hPSCs contain low levels of binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP), an ER chaperone, thapsigargin treatment sharply increased the gene expression of the unfolded protein response. Thus, hPSCs with decreased chaperone function reacted sensitively to ER stress and entered apoptosis faster than fibroblasts. Such ER stress-induced apoptotic processes were abolished by tauroursodeoxycholic acid, an ER-stress reliever. Hence, our results revealed that as PSCs have an underdeveloped structure and express fewer BiP chaperone proteins than somatic cells, they are more susceptible to ER stress-induced apoptosis in response to stress.

Regenerative Medicine: Applications and Development in Urology

2007 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 197-205
Author(s):  
F. Pinto ◽  
A. Calarco ◽  
A. Brescia ◽  
E. Sacco ◽  
A. D'addessi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Regenerative Medicine ◽  
Cell Transplantation ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Human Embryos ◽  
Engineering Applications

Purpose Congenital abnormalities and acquired disorders can lead to organ damage and loss. Nowadays, transplantation represents the only effective treatment option. However, there is a marked decrease in the number of organ donors, which is even yearly worsening due to the population aging. The regenerative medicine represents a realistic option that allows to restore and maintain the normal functions of tissues and organs. This article reviews the principles of regenerative medicine and the recent advances with regard to its application to the genitourinary tract. Recent findings The field of regenerative medicine involves different areas of technology, such as tissue engineering, stem cells and cloning. Tissue engineering involves the field of cell transplantation, materials science and engineering in order to create functional replacement tissues. Stem cells and cloning permit the extraction of pluripotent, embryonic stem cells offering a potentially limitless source of cells for tissue engineering applications. Most current strategies for tissue engineering depend upon a sample of autologous cells from the patient's diseased organ. Biopsies from patients with extensive end-stage organ failure, however, may not yield enough normal cells. In these situations, stem cells are envisaged as being an alternative source. Stem cells can be derived from discarded human embryos (human embryonic stem cells), from fetal tissue or from adult sources (bone marrow, fat, skin). Therapeutic cloning offers a potentially limitless source of cells for tissue engineering applications. Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering scientists have increasingly applied the principles of cell transplantation, materials science and bioengineering to construct biological substitutes that will restore and maintain normal function in urological diseased and injured tissues such as kidney, ureter, bladder, urethra and penis. Conclusions Regenerative medicine offers several applications in acquired and congenital genitourinary diseases. Tissue engineering, stem cells and, mostly, cloning have been applied in experimental studies with excellent results. Few preliminary human applications have been developed with promising results.

scholarly journals The Profile of Post-translational Modifications of Histone H1 in Chromatin of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Acta Naturae ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Yu. Starkova ◽  
T. O. Artamonova ◽  
V. V. Ermakova ◽  
E. V. Chikhirzhina ◽  
M. A. Khodorkovskii ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Es Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Histone H1 ◽  
Ion Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
Compact Structure ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Eukaryotic Dna ◽  
Nih 3T3

Linker histone H1 is one of the main chromatin proteins which plays an important role in organizing eukaryotic DNA into a compact structure. There is data indicating that cell type-specific post-translational modifications of H1 modulate chromatin activity. Here, we compared histone H1 variants from NIH/3T3, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), and mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (MALDI-FT-ICR-MS). We found significant differences in the nature and positions of the post-translational modifications (PTMs) of H1.3-H1.5 variants in ES cells compared to differentiated cells. For instance, methylation of K75 in the H1.2-1.4 variants; methylation of K108, K148, K151, K152 K154, K155, K160, K161, K179, and K185 in H1.1, as well as of K168 in H1.2; phosphorylation of S129, T146, T149, S159, S163, and S180 in H1.1, T180 in H1.2, and T155 in H1.3 were identified exclusively in ES cells. The H1.0 and H1.2 variants in ES cells were characterized by an enhanced acetylation and overall reduced expression levels. Most of the acetylation sites of the H1.0 and H1.2 variants from ES cells were located within their C-terminal tails known to be involved in the stabilization of the condensed chromatin. These data may be used for further studies aimed at analyzing the functional role played by the revealed histone H1 PTMs in the self-renewal and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells.

2. Embryonic stem cells

2021 ◽  
pp. 21-37
Author(s):  
Jonathan Slack
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Inner Cell Mass ◽  
Es Cells ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Cell Mass ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Human Embryos ◽  
Mouse Es Cells ◽  
Stage Embryo

‘Embryonic stem cells’ focuses on embryonic stem (ES) cells, which are grown in tissue culture from the inner cell mass of a mammalian blastocyst-stage embryo. Human ES cells offer a potential route to making the kinds of cells needed for cell therapy. ES cells were originally prepared from mouse embryos. Although somewhat different, cells grown from inner cell masses of human embryos share many properties with mouse ES cells, such as being able to grow without limit and to generate differentiated cell types. Mouse ES cells have so far been of greater practical importance than those of humans because they have enabled a substantial research industry based on the creation of genetically modified mice.

Regenerating Life

2020 ◽  
pp. 185-208
Author(s):  
John Parrington
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Brain Size ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Human Organs ◽  
3D Matrix ◽  
Immortal Cells ◽  
Induced Pluripotent

Stem cells, which are ‘immortal’ cells that divide indefinitely and produce many different cell types, are central to how our body develops and maintains itself. Embryonic stem cells can give rise to all cell types in the body, and there has been lots of interest since their discovery in the 1980s in using such cells to generate new tissues or organs to replace diseased or faulty ones. More recently has come the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells, which are normal skin cells taken from a person and genetically modified or tweaked chemically to give them stem cell properties. There is now hope that both of these types of stem cells might be used in ‘regenerative’ medicine, for instance in producing pancreatic cells that secrete insulin which could be used to treat diabetes. Perhaps the most remarkable breakthrough in recent years has been the discovery that stem cells introduced into a 3D matrix that is infused with chemicals that stimulate the development of particular cell types, can spontaneously form ‘organoids’, which have many of the cell types and even structural features of human organs such as hearts, kidneys, intestines, and even eyes and brains. Organoids make it possible to study how human organs develop but also this area of science raises many ethical issues. For instance, currently human brain organoids can only grow to the size of an embryonic brain, but if in the future they could be induced to grow to adult brain size, could they develop feelings and thoughts?

Investigation of the Stem Cells Used in Modeling Human Placental Trophoblast

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lulu Ji ◽  
Lin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Induced Pluripotent

Human placenta is vital for fetal development, and act as an interface between the fetus and the expecting mother. Abnormal placentati on underpins various pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. Despite the important role of placenta, the molecular mechanisms governing placental formation and trophoblast cell lineage specification is poorly understand. It is mostly due to the lack of appropriate model system. The great various in placental types across mammals make it limit for the use of laboratory animals in studying human placental development. However, over the past few years, alternative methods have been employed, including human embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, human trophoblast stem cell, and 3-dimensional organoids. Herein, we summarize the present knowledge about human development, differentiated cell types in the trophoblast epithelium and current human placental trophoblast model systems.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document