Browsing by Subject "pluripotent stem cells"

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    Directed Differentiation of Mixed Germ Layer Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Progenitors Toward the Oligodendroglial Lineage
    (2016-04-29) Hovland, Austin
    Differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into oligodendrocyte progenitor cells is currently an inefficient process. These cells are required for myelination, which is crucial for proper brain and nerve cord function. The ability to manufacture these cells allows for the study and potential treatment of demyelinating conditions. In-vivo development can be recapitulated in-vitro using pluripotent stem cells to produce cells of interest, including OPCs. Generally, formation of a single germ layer is promoted, and this germ layer is educated by molecular equivalents—substituting for the other germ layers—to derive a pure cell type of interest. To investigate the developmental genesis of these cells, this project approaches this issue from a different viewpoint and instead incorporates the cellular progenitors of those layers to test if they contribute to an accelerated protocol. Should they do so, we aim to reverse-engineer this process and determine what molecular equivalents are necessary. In order to generate a timeline, cells will be split off from the main culture and characterized using immunostaining. With multiple cell lines at multiple time points, this study aims to carefully characterize cells at each step.
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    The Flaws of Stem Cell Legislation: Sherley, Brüstle, and Future Policy Challenges Posed by Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
    (2013-02-12) Diamond, Nicholas J.
    In this article, I first contextualize the origins of disagreement over the nature and extent of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research regulation. By analyzing two key pieces of hESC legislation as considered in two landmark court decisions—one from the United States and one from the European Union—I argue that current stem cell policies are deeply flawed. After surfacing the flaws of these policies, I examine novel challenges for policymakers posed by the newest advancement in stem cell science, induced pluripotent stem cells. In view of these novel challenges, I contend that current policies, which are hESC-focused and deeply flawed, will require substantial revision so as to not unnecessarily encumber the ever-growing therapeutic promise of stem cell research.