Pluripotency Redux — Advances in Stem-Cell Research

Abstract

Interview with Douglas Melton on the promise and limitations of recent advances in stem-cell research. (08:22)Download A cell's ability to give to rise to all the cell types of the embryo and the adult organism is called pluripotency. Pluripotent cells are found within mammalian blastocysts and persist briefly in embryos after implantation. Embryonic stem cells, derived from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, are a renewable source of pluripotent stem cells that are proving valuable in basic science studies and may eventually become a source of cells for safe, effective cell-based therapies. Much embryonic stem-cell research has focused on determining the molecular signature of pluripotency, and a picture is emerging of a complex interaction among transcription . . .