Question | Answer |
totipotent | able to form any cell |
pluripotent | can form cells of a single lineage |
two potential uses of pluripotent/totipotent cells | 1. transplant undifferentiated cells to give differentiation in vivo 2. differentiate cells in vitro and then give to patient |
potential stem cell sources | blastulas, embryos, aborted fetuses, placenta, cord blood, adults, reprogrammed adult cells, chimeric clones, cloned blastulas |
where are adult stem cell sources? | bone marrow, blood, brain, skin, liver |
main problems with adult stem cells | 1. isolation 2. growth and differentiation in culture |
inducers of differentiation | 1.recombinant protein: Growth factors, ligands, cell signalling molecules 2. In vivo mis-expression causes cancer! |
fears about theraputic cloning | 1. are cells produced compatible with nucleus donor? 2. What is the role of the cytoplasm? |
main problems in stem cell biology | 1. safety/trials 2. ? rejection 3. what if mixture diff and undiff cells 4. transplanted cells age quicker? 5. can we supply enough theraputic effect? 6. potential mutations |
what could we use stem cells for? | islet cells; nerve cells (parkinsons, alzheimers); spinal cord injuries; MS; congestive heart failure; osteoporosis; liver disease |
cybrid clones for stem cells | research shows there are 2000 differently expressed genes in the cybrids vs human cells – essentially useless |
a future use of stem cells | new medications could be tested for safety on differentiated cells generated from human pluripotent cell lines. |
Want to create your own Flashcards for free with GoConqr? Learn more.