TOPIC E STEM CELLS Flashcards
What are stem cells?
- UNDIFFERENTIATED CELLS that can self renew (indefiinitely in theory) and give rise to differentiated cells
What are the 3 types of stem cells?
- Embryonic stem cells (ES cells)
- Adult stem cells –> skin, blood, gut lining, brain (replenish old or damaged cells)
- Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS)
How often do progenitor cells replace the intestinal villi?
- Every 4 days
Where can adult stem cells be found?
- In the umbilical cord blood
- Bone marrow
What are 3 potential uses for stem cells?
- Regenerative medicine
- Modelling and treating human disease
- Understanding and treating birth defects
What does regenerative medicine do in terms of stem cells?
- Replacing diseased OR lost tissues or body parts
- Stem cells cultured in tube then placed back into body for regeneration
- e.g. bone marrow–> leukemia treatment
- Nerve cells for parkinsons
What does modelling and treating human disease with stem cells involve?
- Looking at patient stem cells in dish —> add growth factors to let them differentiate (e.g. neurons) –> see if certain drugs work on those cells)
What does understanding and treating birth defects mean for a potential use of stem cells?
- Add drugs that inhibit or stimulate a process in birth defects –> follow the normal development and test drugs
What are potential uses of ES stem cells?
- Chron’s disease, storke, Alzheimers, muscular dystrophy , blindness, deafness
What are ES stem cells derived from?
- The INNER CELL MASS of the embryo –> pluripotent
What are general characteristics of ES cells?
- Self renew
- Pluripotency markers e.g. Oct4
- Differentiate into new VARIETY of cell types of transplanted into immune defficient mice
- LONG TELOMERES at ends of chromosomes (compared to differentiated and ages which have shorter telomeres)
What are ES cells propagated in vitro in the presence of and what are examples?
- propagated in presence of growth factors
- e.g. LIF cytokine (mouse ES cells) keeps the cells from differentiating (to maintain stem cell) and FgF and Wnts for human ES cells
What are characteristics of HUMAN ES cells?
- Number of growth factors allow hESC propagation in vitro
What is the proof that hESC s are indeed hESCs?
- Self renewing and expression of pluripotency markers
- Can form 3 germ layers
- IN VITRO–> embryoid bodies
- IN VIVO –> Tetromas when injected into immunodefficient mice
How is the differentiation of Beta cells identified?
- By expression of markers! e.g. Insulin for beta islet cells