Stem Cells

Question 1

What are the two main properties of stem cells?

Answer 1

Self-renewal and pluripotency.

Question 2

Name a few examples of adult stem cell populations. Do these populations have regenerative capacity?

Answer 2

Pluripotent stem cells, including hematopoietic and mesenchymal, and tissue-specific progenitor cells, including muscle satellite cells, adipose-derived stem cells, endothelial stem cells, dental pulp stem cells, intestinal stem cells and cardiac progenitor cells.

Question 3

Describe the differences between embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells

Answer 3

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are truly pluripotent and more stable compared to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). ESCs may be biologically more similar to stem cells in vivo, as iPSCs may be genetically and epigenetically less stable than ESCs.

Question 4

What are the implications ESC and iPSCs might have in regenerative medicine?

Answer 4

While the generation of iPSCs is not very efficient, they can be used for autologous transplants where ESCs can only be used for allogenic transplants. More ethical issues arise with ESCs, allowing iPSCs to be used more readily for modeling disease.

Question 5

What do we mean by “patient-specific” iPSCs?

Answer 5

literally from patient

Question 6

How are iPSCs made (in general terms)?

Answer 6

iPSC are from the Polar TE, and are induced to become stem cells