Self-renewal of embryonic-stem-cell-derived progenitors by organ-matched mesenchyme.

ABSTRACT: One goal of regenerative medicine, to use stem cells to replace cells lost by injury or disease, depends on producing an excess of the relevant cell for study or transplantation. To this end, the stepwise differentiation of stem cells into specialized derivatives has been successful for some cell types, but a major problem remains the inefficient conversion of cells from one stage of differentiation to the next. If specialized cells are to be produced in large numbers it will be necessary to expand progenitor cells, without differentiation, at some steps of the process. Using the pancreatic lineage as a model for embryonic-stem-cell differentiation, we demonstrate that this is a solvable problem. Co-culture with organ-matched mesenchyme permits proliferation and self-renewal of progenitors

SUBMITTER: Sneddon JB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6005657 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature