title: Methods to Manipulate and Monitor Wnt Signaling in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.
abstract: Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) may revolutionize medical practice by providing: (a) a renewable source of cells for tissue replacement therapies, (b) a powerful system to model human diseases in a dish, and (c) a platform for examining efficacy and safety of novel drugs. Furthermore, these cells offer a unique opportunity to study early human development in vitro, in particular, the process by which a seemingly uniform cell population interacts to give rise to the three main embryonic lineages: ectoderm, endoderm. and mesoderm. This process of lineage allocation is regulated by a number of inductive signals that are mediated by growth factors, including FGF, TGFβ, and Wnt. In this book chapter, we introduce a set of tools, methods, and protocols to specifically manipulate the Wnt signaling pathway with the intention of altering the cell fate outcome of hPSCs.
authors: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
authors: Ian J
authors: IJ
authors: Huggins
authors: School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Brafman
authors: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA. kwillert@ucsd.edu.
authors: Karl
authors: K
authors: Willert
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000254:growth & development; D004707:Endoderm / Q000254:growth & development; D000066449:Human Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000254:growth & development; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: Embryonic development; Human embryonic stem cell (hESC); Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC); Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC); Wnt