WK1_7 Stem Cells

Question 1

totipotency

Answer 1

the potential of a single cell to develop into a total organism

Question 2

pluripotency

Answer 2

a cell’s capacity to give rise to all cell types in the body but not to the supporting structures, such as the placenta, amnion, and chorion, all of which are needed fro the development of an organism

Question 3

unipotency

Answer 3

a cell’s capacity to give rise to only one cell type

Question 4

multipotency

Answer 4

a cell’s capacity to give rise to a small number of different cell types

Question 5

iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells

Answer 5

are engineered cells derived from somatic cells that resemble embryonic stem (ES) cells

Question 6

criteria to establish a stem cell line:

Answer 6

• forms an embryoid body
• forms a teratoma-type tumor when implanted into immunodeficient mice
• forms a chimera when implanted into early embryo

Question 7

what are the advantages of patient specific iPS cell lines? (3)

Answer 7

• differentiated cells will be a perfect immunological match to the donor, permitting grafting back without the use of immunosuppressive drugs
• permits treatment of genetic diseases or cancers
• tumor formation represent major concern due to mechanisms of viral gene insertion. host genes may be interrupted. in addition, silenced genes may be reactivated.

Question 8

what are the potential therapies using pluripotent stem cells (ES or iPS) for diabetes?

Answer 8

• from differentiated beta cells in vitro, and introduce through hepatic portal vein to lodge into liver
• iPS cell line can be a genetic match, alleviating need for immunosuppression

Question 9

what are the alternative therapies for Parkinson’s disease?

Answer 9

administration of L-DOPA and deep brain electrical stimulation may prove more effective

Question 10

what are the potential therapies using pluripotent stem cells (ES or iPS) for spinal repair?

Answer 10

demyelinating cells to treat spinal trauma

Question 11

what are the potential therapies using pluripotent stem cells (ES or iPS) for vision (macular degeneration)?

Answer 11

• clinical trials involved goal of demonstrating safety
• immunoprivileged nature of eye avoids issues of tolerance to foreign antigens
• low doses possible due to local focus of disease

Question 12

post-mitotic tissue

Answer 12

• muscle and neuronal
• nondividing cells and contain few or NO stem cells
• skeletal muscel contains satellite cells critical for regeneration

Question 13

expanding tissue

Answer 13

• liver, kidney, thyroid
• undergo an expansion only during juvenile growth and possess some stem cells that can generate new cells to repopulate tissues

Question 14

renewal cells

Answer 14

• epitheial lining of intestine, stomach, epidermis of skin, testes, and hematopoietic system
• undergo continual replacement

Question 15

mRNA gene expression increases indicate _____ for pathways involved in proliferation, migration, and receptor signaling

Answer 15

upregulation

Question 16

_____ stem cells are therapeutically robust, and represent major forms of treatment

Answer 16

resident (multipotent) stem cells

Question 17

use of _____ and _____ stem cells represents important research tools

Answer 17

ES and iPS (pluripotent) stem cells

Question 18

what is the major value of human pluripotent stem cells (iPS)?

Answer 18

to study human embryonic development and assess drug screening without needing embryos

Question 19

what is a challenge of the potential therapies using pluripotent stem cells (ES or iPS) for Parkinson’s disease?

Answer 19

challenge is the neurons be replaced in proper context positions in tissue with proper connectivity

Question 20

what are the safety concerns for the potential therapies using pluripotent stem cells (ES or iPS) for Parkinson’s disease?

Answer 20

persistence of a few pluripotent cells in graft that may form teratomas