Summary Cell Biology; stem cell biology Review

07/12/18

Professor Ian Mackenzie

Stem Cell Biology
Types of Stem Cells

1. Somatic
2. Embryonic
3. Mesenchymal
4. Induced pluripotent

For Against
Many diseases cured Can cause cancer
• Leukaemia
• Parkinsons
• Burns
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
Regenerate tissues Ethical - embryonic


Development

• Egg fertilised
• Divides (first few cells all equal)
o Differentiation after a few hundred cells into blastocyst and placenta
o Then forms embryo
• Birth, then keeps growing
• 3.7 x 1013 cells in the body
• All originally from stem cells

Obtaining Embryonic Stem Cells

• Cells from blastocyst and fetus germ cells
o Culture to give stem cells
• Cord blood of embryo and placenta
• Developing teeth

Induced Pluripotency

• iPS cells developed by Yamanaka in Japan 2006
• Fewer ethical issues
• Affected by
o Oct4
o Sox2
o Klf4
• Put these genes into the cell through a retrovirus
• Methylation patterns affect accuracy of differentiation
• Can cause cancer still
• Now they just add gene products, not the gene, as this reduces cancer risk