Biol 4340
Stem Cells
Packet includes:
Field leaps forward with new stem cell advances. Science Vol 318, 23 Nov 2007
The quest for the perfect reprogrammed cell. Nature Vol 511, 3 July 2014
Stem Cells Made Waves in Biology and Medicine, The Scientist 1 October 2016
Pluripotent stem cells progressing to the clinic. Nature Reviews Vol 17, March 2016
Child Receives Transgenic Skin over Most of his Body. The Scientist 8 Nov 2017
Vision Loss after Intravitreal Injection of Autologous “Stem Cells” for AMD
Other resources:
Info about current initiatives in the stem cell field: https://stemcells.nih.gov/
ECB4e Ch 20: pp.708-712
On D2L: Cardiologist trades stem cells for cell-based meats (Memphis Meats) Lancet, 2018 and other interesting links
“Stem Cell Basics. In NIH Stem Cell Information. https://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics
https://www.stemcell.com/technical-resources/area-of-interest/organoid-research.html
Use the Stem Cell Basics website to describe the differences between totipotent, pleuripotent and multipotent stem cells.
Describe the origin and characteristics of embryonic stem cells (ES cells).
Describe the origin of and characteristics of adult stem cells.
Describe the origin of and characteristics of induced pleuripotent cells (iPCs).
c-myc is considered to be an oncogene. What is a possible drawback for using this particular gene to create iPCs?
Describe how iPCs are different from ES cells.
What is the main advantage of using iPCs over IVF (in vitro fertilization) ES cells?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of generating ES cells using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)?
Describe how iPCs are different from adult stem cells.
Are iPCs currently used for treating diseases?
Do a quick search, are ES cells or adult stem cells currently being used for treating diseases?
Which type of stem cell is best to use for treating disease? What needs to be addressed before any of these stem cells are widely used?
The technology to grow ES cells in culture was developed in 1998. What was the main limiting factor in ES cell research up until 2009? What is the situation today?
p53 was found to limit iPC generation. Why would suppressing p53 enhance the efficiency of iPC generation? Why would it be appropriate for p53 be added back to the iPCs after they have been made?
Define an organoid. What is it made from? What kinds of things might organoids be used for?