Recent new technologies enabling the genetic modification of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and the derivation of patient-specific induced Pluripotent Stem cells (iPS cells) provide attractive opportunities for the development of new cell-based bioassays. Both technologies critically depend on the selection of pluripotent cell colonies. AVISO’s CellCelector enables automated colony detection...

The genetic reprogramming technology allows one to generate pluripotent stem cells for individual patients. These cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), can be an unlimited source of specialized cell types for the body. Thus, autologous somatic cell replacement therapy becomes possible, as well as the generation of in vitro cell models for studying the mechanisms of disease patho...

The Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase (NuRD) complex is essential for embryonic development and pluripotent stem cell differentiation. In this study, we investigated whether NuRD is also involved in the reverse biological process of induction of pluripotency in neural stem cells. By knocking out MBD3, an essential scaffold subunit of the NuRD complex, at different time points in reprogrammi...

Human embryonic germ cells (EGCs) provide a powerful model for identifying molecules involved in the pluripotent state when compared to their progenitors, primordial germ cells (PGCs), and other pluripotent stem cells. Microarray and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) reveals for the first time that human EGCs possess a transcription profile distinct from PGCs and other pluripotent stem cells. ...

The concept of pluripotency as a prerogative of cells of early mammal embryos and cultured embryonic stem cells (ESC) has been invalidated with the advent of induced pluripotent stem cells. Later, it became clear that the ability to generate all cell types of the adult organism is also a questionable aspect of pluripotency, as there are cell types, such as germ cells, which are difficult to pro...

Induced pluripotent stem cell technology makes in vitro reprogramming of somatic cells from individuals with various genetic backgrounds possible. By applying this technology, it is possible to produce pluripotent stem cells from biopsy samples of arbitrarily selected individuals with various genetic backgrounds and to subsequently maintain, expand, and stock these cells. From these induced plu...

The ethical debate surrounding human pluripotent stem (PS) cell research is mainly due to use of human embryonic stem (ES) cells. It has been suggested by many that human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells would end the debate due to their non-embryonic origin. This review examines the ethical issues surrounding the use of iPS cells and their ES cell counterparts, and argues that while iPS ce...

Embryonic stem cells have the unique ability to indefinitely self-renew and differentiate into any cell type found in the adult body. Differentiated cells can, in turn, be reprogrammed to embryonic stem-like induced pluripotent stem cells, providing exciting opportunities for achieving patient-specific stem cell therapy while circumventing immunological obstacles and ethical controversies. Sinc...

Pluripotent stem cells, both human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC), can give rise to multiple cell types and hence have tremendous potential for regenerative therapies. However, the tumorigenic potential of these cells remains a great concern, as reflected in the formation of teratomas by transplanted pluripotent cells. In clinical practice, most plu...

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology involves the generation of pluripotent stem cells from adult somatic cells by the exogenous expression of specific reprogramming factors (see Box). This technology opened the door for us to access a robust platform demonstrating in vitro cellular reprogramming from certain somatic cells to pluripotent status. Recently, Cahan and Daley conducted a b...