Self-renewal made simple.
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are prone to differentiation in culture, suggesting that maintenance of the pluripotent state must be actively induced. In a recent issue of Nature, Ying et al. (2008) use soluble small molecules to inhibit pro-differentiation signals and reveal ESC self-renewal as a default cell fate.
Dunn
N Ray
NR
A(*STAR Institute of Medical Biology, 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-06 Immunos, Singapore. ray.dunn@imb.a-star.edu.sg
D000818:Animals; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice
C525810:Bmp4 protein, mouse; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors