Stem Cell Engineering

Question 1

embryonic stem cells have the ability to differentiate into a wide range of cells provided?

Answer 1

the right environment in culture

can divide indefinitely

Question 2

unlike a zygote, ES cells can

Answer 2

generate an actual organism

Question 3

es cells are derived from ? and when put back in same place/time ?

Answer 3

inner cell mass of blastula

when put back they can re-integrate perfectly

Question 4

teratoma formation

Answer 4

when injecting es cells into an embryo at a later stage or into an adult

they fail to receive proper signals for differentiation

and form teratomas

Question 5

define teratoma

Answer 5

cell mass w/ no axis of formation or organization/segmentation

Question 6

list 3 uses of es cells

Answer 6

1. study disease mechanisms
2. test chemicals/drugs
3. derive from patients to create customized treatments

Question 7

SCeNT

Answer 7

somatic cell nuclear transfer

combining a somatic cell nucleus and an oocyte

Question 8

stages of development

Answer 8

fertilization
zygote
blastocyst w/ ICM
gastrula - 3 levels
fetus

Question 9

es cells must be derived from the ____ stage, once an embryo reaches _____ you can no longer use the cells.

Answer 9

blastocyst

gastrula stem cells are not useable

Question 10

signals for differentiation - adipocytes

Answer 10

1st retinoic acid

2nd - insulin and thyroid hormone

Question 11

signals for differentiation - neurons

Answer 11

1. retinoic acid

Question 12

signals for differentiation - macrophages

Answer 12

1. MC SF + interleukin-3 + interleukin-1

Question 13

signals for differentiation - smooth muscle cells

Answer 13

1. dibutyrl cAMP + retinoic acid

Question 14

signals for differentiation - glial cells

Answer 14

1. fibroblast gf
2. fibroblast gf2 + epidermal gf
3. fibroblast gf2 + platelet derived gf

Question 15

SCeNT methods

Answer 15

1. nucleus taken from somatic cell of patient
2. inject it into oocyte
3. blastocyst generated from hybrid
4. es cells isolated from icm
5. culture cells

Question 16

example of SCeNT for clinical therapy

Answer 16

used for type I diabetes

injected into pancreas and new pancreatic cells are created

Question 17

issues w/ SCeNT

Answer 17

1. insufficient # of eggs

2. technically challenging - no trained people or proper equipment

Question 18

____ genes have been found in ES cells that are not present in adult somatic cells. thus suggesting we may be able to ?

Answer 18

24 genes

reprogram adult cells into es-like cells

Question 19

the key determinants of es cell character is ?

Answer 19

4 gene regulatory proteins
Oct4
Sox2
Kif4
Myc

Question 20

when the gene regulatory proteins are injected into fibroblasts they ?

Answer 20

form es-like cells

w/ the ability to differentiate into other cell types

Question 21

what is the major issue w/ reprogramming adult cells

Answer 21

yield is low

~1-5% of cells injected turn into es-like stem cells

Question 22

iPS cells

Answer 22

induced pluripotent cells

exposing somatic cells to transcription factors – genes for stem-ness

Question 23

Myc seems to be involved directly in ?

Answer 23

up regulation of cell proliferation and

loosening of chromatic structures

Question 24

stem cells taken from umbilical cords are

Answer 24

pluripotent

Question 25

repair of skin using stem cells

Answer 25

burn victims

• -take epidermis stem cells from another area
• -culture them
• -give back to patient
• -skin will regenerate

Question 26

while a burn victim is waiting for her stem cells to culture - what is does w/ the wound?

Answer 26

takes few weeks to culture cells

patient is given artificial skin in mean time

Question 27

what occurs while a burn victim has their intermediate skin

Answer 27

fibroblasts and capillaries migrate towards artificial skin and reform underlying CT

Question 28

after a burn victim has regenerated new skin, what does not come back?

Answer 28

hair

sebaceous glands