| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
REVIEW |
Institute of Human Genetics, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK and 1 Newcastle Fertility Centre at Life, NHS, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4EP, UK
Correspondence should be addressed to M Stojkovic; Email: miodrag.stojkovic{at}ncl.ac.uk
Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are pluripotent cells derived from the inner cell mass cells of blastocysts with the potential to maintain an undifferentiated state indefinitely. Fully characterised hES cell lines express typical stem cell markers, possess high levels of telomerase activity, show normal karyotype and have the potential to differentiate into numerous cell types under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Therefore, hES cells are potentially valuable for the development of cell transplantation therapies for the treatment of various human diseases. However, there are a number of factors which may limit the medical application of hES cells: (a) continuous culture of hES cells in an undifferentiated state requires the presence of feeder layers and animal-based ingredients which incurs a risk of cross-transfer of pathogens; (b) hES cells demonstrate high genomic instability and non-predictable differentiation after long-term growth; and (c) differentiated hES cells express molecules which could cause immune rejection. In this review we summarise recent progress in the derivation and growth of undifferentiated hES cells and their differentiated progeny, and the problems associated with these techniques. We also examine the potential use of the therapeutic cloning technique to derive isogenic hES cells.
Related articles in Reproduction:
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
C. Yang, S. Przyborski, M. J. Cooke, X. Zhang, R. Stewart, G. Anyfantis, S. P. Atkinson, G. Saretzki, L. Armstrong, and M. Lako A Key Role for Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Unit in Modulating Human Embryonic Stem Cell Proliferation, Cell Cycle Dynamics, and In Vitro Differentiation Stem Cells, April 1, 2008; 26(4): 850 - 863. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Kim, S. E. Ahn, J. H. Lee, D.-S. Lim, K.-S. Kim, H.-M. Chung, and S.-H. Lee A Novel Culture Technique for Human Embryonic Stem Cells Using Porous Membranes Stem Cells, October 1, 2007; 25(10): 2601 - 2609. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Bhatia Hematopoietic Development from Human Embryonic Stem Cells Hematology, January 1, 2007; 2007(1): 11 - 16. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. Trounson The Production and Directed Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells Endocr. Rev., April 1, 2006; 27(2): 208 - 219. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. W. Plaia, R. Josephson, Y. Liu, X. Zeng, C. Ording, A. Toumadje, S. N. Brimble, E. S. Sherrer, E. W. Uhl, W. J. Freed, et al. Characterization of a New NIH-Registered Variant Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line, BG01V: A Tool for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Stem Cells, March 1, 2006; 24(3): 531 - 546. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. Sasaki, K. Hanazawa, R. Kurita, A. Akatsuka, T. Yoshizaki, H. Ishii, Y. Tanioka, Y. Ohnishi, H. Suemizu, A. Sugawara, et al. Establishment of Novel Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Derived from the Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) Stem Cells, September 1, 2005; 23(9): 1304 - 1313. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. M. Tan and P. Droge Comparative Analysis of Sequence-Specific DNA Recombination Systems in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Stem Cells, August 1, 2005; 23(7): 868 - 873. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |