Stem Cells
Stem Cells
Stem Cells
Zahraa A. Watad
[email protected]
Dubai, UAE
Outline
Introduction
Challenges
Future Prespectives
Introduction
The number of cell types a stem cell can differentiate into is determined by its potency:
The number of cell types a stem cell can differentiate into is determined by its potency:
Source: Blastocyst
Embryo is the organism from the time of implantation in the uterus until the end of the second month of
gestation. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), however, refer to a much more restricted period, resulting from
the isolation and cultivation of cells from the blastocyst, which forms at approximately 5 days after
fertilization.
Types of Stem Cells | Embryonic Stem Cells
- Pluripotent
- Immortal in culture
- They maintain a normal chromosomal composition.
- They are known to express surface markers such as CD9, CD24,
and alkaline phosphatase, and several genes involved with pluripotency,
including Oct-4, Rex-1, SOX-2, Nanog, LIN28, Thy-1, and SSEA-3 and -4.
- Expression of high levels of telomerase
Types of Stem Cells | Embryonic Stem Cells
1- How to better maintain the cells in long-term culture, without significant modifications of their genetic
composition.
2-How to differentiate the cells into the many mature cell types
-Viral vectors, such as retroviruses, are generally used for gene transfer
1- Cell Reprogramming.
Treating Human Adult Fibroblasts with 4 genes; Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc to reprogram to
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.
PSCs cells have been generated also from other cell types including adult hepatocytes, gastric
epithelial cells, and mesenchymal cells
Techniques to Produce Stem Cells | iPSCs
These discoveries have generated an unprecedented deal of interest toward stem cell research, mostly for these
reasons:
In-vitro Expansion
Challenges to be addressed:
This donor nucleus is then injected into the egg, replacing the nucleus
that was removed, in a process called Nuclear Transfer. The egg is
allowed to divide and soon forms a blastocyst.
This process creates a line of stem cells that is genetically
identical to the donor's cells — in essence, a clone.
Techniques to Produce Stem Cells
Allow the fertilized egg to grow in the lab, until the embryo is formed, a screening is done to use the healthy
embryo in treatment of infertility and the rest of the eggs are used to produce Embryonic Stem Cells.
- Ethical Concerns
Challenges
Challenges
• Further optimization of their expansion and differentiation into function cell types is required.
• Current methods for deriving these cell lines and maintaining them in culture is time-consuming, labor-
intensive, and their chemically defined media is expensive.
• Immune rejection
• Human ES and iPS cells can be used as a model system to study human embryonic development
and differentiation
• Pluripotent stem cell lines could be a useful resource for preclinical stem cell research and developing ES
and IPS cell-based transplantation therapies.
• Regenerative Medicine
Future Perspectives
Future perspectives
• Translational Research
The importance of translational research lies in it’s a role as a filter to ensure that only safe and effective
therapies reach the clinic
• Clinical Trials
There are more than 3,000 trials involving the use of adult stem cells registered in WHO international
clinical trials registry
References.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4485209/
• https://www.nature.com/articles/cdd201014
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bone-marrow-transplant/in-depth/stem-cells/art-20048117
• https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1965-stem-cells
• https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/stemcells/quickref