Stem cell tagged posts

A haploid cell with 23 chromosomes (left), and a diploid cell with 46 chromosomes (right). Credit: Columbia University Medical Center/Hebrew University

The stem cell carries a single copy of the human genome, instead of the two copies typically found in normal stem cells. These are the first human cells that are known to be capable of cell division with just 1 copy of the parent cell’s genome. Since the stem cells were a genetic match to the egg cell donor, they could also be used to develop cell-based therapies for diseases such as blindness, diabetes, or other conditions in which genetically identical cells offer a therapeutic advantage. Because their genetic content is equivalent to germ cells, they might also be useful for reproductive purposes.

Previous efforts to generate embryonic s...

OSKM-Induced XEN Cells Arise during Reprogramming

The stem cell discovery could also offer new ways to study birth defects and other reproductive problems. Tony Parenti, MSU cell and molecular biology graduate student, unearthed the new cells – induced XEN cells, or iXEN – in a cellular trash pile, of sorts. “Other scientists may have seen these cells before, but they were considered to be defective, or cancer-like,” said Parenti. “Rather than ignore these cells that have been mislabeled as waste byproducts, we found gold in the garbage.”

A great deal of stem cell research focuses on new ways to make and use pluripotent stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells can be created by reactivating embryonic genes to “reprogram” mature adult cells...