Only ten years ago, 'stem cells' was a buzz word for all kinds of anticipated miracle cures, following the first production of human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines from blastocysts (early stage embryos) in 1998. As embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, they can generate the specialised cells for any kind of organ or tissue that one may want to create or repair, given the right enticement. While...

PURPOSE Extracellular matrix and the cytokine TGF-β influence scar formation in an interdependent fashion. In this study, the impact of extracellular matrix elasticity on TGF-β-induced signal transduction and myofibroblast transdifferentiation was examined. METHODS Primary human tenon fibroblasts were seeded on collagen-coated glass coverslips (rigid environment) or collagen or polyacrylamide...

traumatic central nervous system injuries lead to a severe and permanent neurological deficit. oligodendrocytes (olcs) are vulnerable to damage in a variety of neurologic diseases. although no effective therapeutic option is currently available, recent other studies have shown that cell therapeutic strategies hold promise to enhance functional recovery after injury. the aim of this study is to ...

Our current understanding of cellular transdifferentiation systems is limited. It is oftentimes unknown, at a genome-wide scale, how much transdifferentiated cells differ quantitatively from both the starting cells and the target cells. Focusing on transdifferentiation of primary human skin fibroblasts by forced expression of myogenic transcription factor MyoD, we performed quantitative analyse...

The fetal gonad is composed of a mixture of somatic cell lineages and germ cells. The fate of the gonad, male or female, is determined by a population of somatic cells that differentiate into Sertoli or granulosa cells and direct testis or ovary development. It is well established that germ cells are not required for the establishment or maintenance of Sertoli cells or testis cords in the male ...

Prostate cancer is highly sensitive to hormone therapy because androgens are essential for prostate cancer cell growth. However, with the nearly invariable progression of this disease to androgen independence, endocrine therapy ultimately fails to control prostate cancer in most patients. Androgen-independent acquisition may involve neuroendocrine transdifferentiation, but there is little knowl...