New stem cell research study findings have been reported by researchers at Tottori University
February 23rd, 2009
2009 FEB 23 -- New research, 'Extrinsic factors derived from mouse embryonal carcinoma cell lines maintain pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells through a novel signal pathway,' is the subject of a report. "Embryonic carcinoma (EC) cells, which are malignant stem cells of teratocarcinoma, have numerous morphological and biochemical properties in common with pluripotent stem cells such as embryonic stem (ES) cells. However, three EC cell lines (F9, P19 and PCC3) show different developmental potential and self-renewal capacity from those of ES cells," scientists in Yonago, Japan report.
"All three EC cell lines maintain self-renewal capacity in serum containing medium without Leukemia Inhibitory factor (LIF) or feeder layer, and show limited differentiation capacity into restricted lineage and cell types. To reveal the underlying mechanism of these characteristics, we took the approach of characterizing extrinsic factors derived from EC cells on the self-renewal capacity and pluripotency of mouse ES cells. Here we demonstrate that EC cell lines F9 and P19 produce factor(s) maintaining the undifferentiated state of mouse ES cells via an unidentified signal pathway, while P19 and PCC3 cells produce self-renewal factors of ES cells other than LIF that were able to activate the STAT3 signal; however, inhibition of STAT3 activation with Janus kinase inhibitor shows only partial impairment on the maintenance of the undifferentiated state of ES cells," wrote S. Kawazoe and colleagues, Tottori University.
The researchers concluded: "Thus, these factors present in EC cells-derived conditioned medium may be responsible for the self-renewal capacity of EC and ES cells independently of LIF signaling."
Kawazoe and colleagues published their study in Development Growth & Differentiation (Extrinsic factors derived from mouse embryonal carcinoma cell lines maintain pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells through a novel signal pathway. Development Growth & Differentiation, 2009;51(2):81-93).
For more information, contact S. Kawazoe, Dept. of Genetic Medicine and Regenerative Therapeutics, Division of Regenerative Medicine and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Tottori University, Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, Japan.
Publisher contact information for the journal Development Growth & Differentiation is: Palgrave Macmillan, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA.
