A Simplified Procedure for Culturing Feeder Independent Embryonic Stem Cells
- Detailed Technology Description
- None
- *Abstract
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Researchers have found that retinol, the alcohol form of Vitamin A, maintains the pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) by the over-expression of Nanog which is a key transcription factor for self-renewal. Mouse and human ESCs require mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) as feeders to maintain pluripotency. Although feeder cells provide important growth promoting factors, their use involves several cumbersome and time consuming steps. This invention demonstrates that retinol can be used as substitute for feeder cells in long-term cultures without affecting their pluripotency. ESC self-renewal by retinol is independent of the strain background and cells maintain complete potential to differentiate into all the primary germ layers in embryoid bodies and in chimeric animals. The studies demonstrate for the first time that a physiologically relevant small molecule has growth promoting effect on the self-renewal of ESCs in the absence of feeder cells by activating the endogenous machinery to over-express an essential gene for pluripotency.References:Methods Mol Biol. 2010;652:75-83.Stem Cells. 2010 Jan;28(1):57-63.Stem Cells. 2008 Jul;26(7):1858-64.Differentiation. 2007 Oct;75(8):682-93.Know how available for licensing
- *Principal Investigator
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Name: Jaspal Khillan, Res. Associate Professor
Department: Med-Immunology
- Country/Region
- USA
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