STEM Cells

Question 1

STEM Cell niche

Answer 1

• control cell division and differentiation
• neighboring cells
• ECM
• Growth factors
• environmental factors (pH, O2, pressure)

Question 2

Homing

Answer 2

• STEM cells knowing where to go
• damaged tissues release factors for homing

Question 3

Fusogenic

Answer 3

• STEM cells fuse together
• tetraplid
• cause cancer
• occur from stress of injecting into human

Question 4

Therapeutic Cloning

Answer 4

• SCs to treat injury or condition
• diabetes
• alzheimers
• injury
• Embryo in vitro

Question 5

Reproductive cloning

Answer 5

• making genetically identical organisms
• in vivo

Question 6

Adult SCs

Answer 6

• found in adipose (fat)
• adMSC = adipose derived mesenchymal SC

Question 7

Fetal SC

Answer 7

• amniotic
• umbilical cord
• placental

Question 8

Embryonic SC

Answer 8

• hESC
• hPSC

Question 9

Induced pluripotent SCs

Answer 9

• not used for research in US
• Used in Japan and Australia
• iPS factors introduced to somatic cells

Question 10

SCID mice

Answer 10

• mice without B or T cells (immunodeficiency)
• used to see if STEM ecll can differentiate in vivo
• used to see if human cancer cell can form a tumor in vivo

Question 11

3 ways to generate STEM cells in vitro

Answer 11

• SCNT
• Parthenogenesis
• inducing STEM cells

Question 12

SCNT pros

Answer 12

• somatic cell nucleus inserted in embryo to differentiate, then re-inserted into patient
• autologous

Question 13

SCNT cons

Answer 13

• ethical concerns, creates embryo
• 1/1000 cloning success rate

Question 14

Parthenogenesis

Answer 14

• Osmolarity changes in egg environment causes blastocyst without sperm
• hPSCs
• would only take 200-300 eggs to get hPSCs for everyone on earth

Question 15

Parthenogenesis cons

Answer 15

• all alleles homozygous, higher chance of mutant phenotype
• only allogeneic unlesse using cells for the female donating
• ehthical concern, creates embryo

Question 16

Inducing STEM cells

Answer 16

• iPSCs
• adding 4 embryonic master genes reverts cell to embryo-like state
• can cause teratocarinoma

Question 17

Embryonic master genes

Answer 17

• hox
• Oct3/4
• Sox2
• nanog

Question 18

iPSC pros

Answer 18

• research on differentiation
• patient-specific for genetic disorders
• tissue engineering of organoids
• no ethical concern
• autologous or allogeneic
• more pluripotent than adMSCs and easier to get

Question 19

Dangers of SCs

Answer 19

• longer telomeres and divide more
• causes teratomas / cancers
• immune response, increase anaphylaxis chances
• inappropriate differentiation