enrichment of cell suspension with germ cells prior to injection into recipient seminiferous tubules is of importance in spermatogonial stem cells (sscs) transplantation. knock-out serum replacement (ksr) has been reported to enhance the proliferation of murine sscs and human embryonic stem cells. the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of ksr versus fetal bovine serum (fbs) ...

Fetal and adult stem cells have the potential to play vital role in livestock production and management. Fetal stem cells in comparison to stem cells from other sources are easily accessible and can be isolated in larger quantities. Additionally it can provide new insights into development biology of animals. Fetal stem cells may develop as a valuable source of stem cells for clinical applicati...

Fetal growth plays a role in programming of adult cardiometabolic disorders, which in men, are associated with lowered testosterone levels. Fetal growth and fetal androgen exposure can also predetermine testosterone levels in men, although how is unknown, because the adult Leydig cells (ALCs) that produce testosterone do not differentiate until puberty. To explain this conundrum, we hypothesize...

Fetal stem cells differ phenotypically and functionally from adult stem cells in diverse tissues. However, little is known about how these differences are regulated. To address this we compared the gene expression profiles of fetal versus adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and discovered that the Sox17 transcriptional regulator is specifically expressed in fetal and neonatal but not adult HS...

Little is known about the extracellular signaling factors that govern mammary stem cell behavior. Here, we identify CRIPTO and its cell-surface receptor GRP78 as regulators of stem cell behavior in isolated fetal and adult mammary epithelial cells. We develop a CRIPTO antagonist that promotes differentiation and reduces self-renewal of mammary stem cell-enriched populations cultured ex vivo. By...

All important developmental milestones are accomplished during the fetal stage, and nutrient fluctuation during this stage produces lasting effects on offspring health, so called fetal programming or developmental programming. The fetal stage is critical for skeletal muscle development, as well as adipose and connective tissue development. Maternal under-nutrition at this stage affects the prol...

Fetal cells circulate in pregnant women and persist in blood and tissue for decades post-partum. The mother thus becomes chimeric. Factors that may influence such fetal cell microchimerism include histocompatibility, fetal or placental abnormalities, or a reproductive history that includes miscarriage or elective termination. Fetal cell microchimerism is associated with some maternal autoimmune...

Many investigators have used xenogeneic, especially murine stromal cells and fetal calf serum to maintain and expand human stem cells. The proliferation and expansion of human hematopoietic stem cells in ex vivo culture were examined with the goal of generating a suitable protocol for expanding hematopoietic stem cells for patient transplantation. Using primary fetal liver cells, we established...

Understanding the identity of lineage-specific cells arising during manipulations of stem cells is necessary for developing their potential applications. For instance, replacement of crucial functions in organ failure by transplantation of suitable stem-cell-derived cells will be applicable to numerous disorders, but requires insights into the origin, function and fate of specific cell populati...

Arsenic is a carcinogen with transplacental activity that can affect human skin stem cell population dynamics in vitro by blocking exit into differentiation pathways. Keratinocyte stem cells (KSC) are probably a key target in skin carcinogenesis. Thus, we tested the effects of fetal arsenic exposure in Tg.AC mice, a strain sensitive to skin carcinogenesis via activation of the v-Ha-ras transgen...