The purpose of this study is to characterize the microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS-RPE). MiRNAs have been demonstrated to play critical roles in both maintaining pluripotency and facilitating differentiation. Gene expression networks accountable for maintenance and in...

BACKGROUND Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are a novel stem cell population induced from mouse and human adult somatic cells through reprogramming by transduction of defined transcription factors. However, detailed differentiation properties and the directional differentiation system of iPS cells have not been demonstrated. METHODS AND RESULTS Previously, we established a novel mouse emb...

Transgenic porcine induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are attractive cell sources for the development of genetically engineered pig models, because they can be expanded without senescence and have the potential for multiple gene manipulation. They are also useful cell sources for disease modeling and treatment. However, the generation of transgenic porcine iPS cells is rare, and their embryon...

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a structurally endogenous peptide with many biological roles. Maxadilan, a 61-amino acid vasodilatory peptide, specifically activates the PACAP type I receptor (PAC1). Although PAC1 has been identified in embryonic stem cells, little is known about its presence or effects in human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. In the present ...

Evaluation of antiangiogenic activity of marine sponge derived azumamides by the in vitro vascular organization model using mouse induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells was carried out. Azumamide E (5) strongly inhibited in vitro angiogenesis from iPS cells at 1.9microM while azumamide A (1) showed only weak inhibition at 19microM. These results were well correlated with HDAC inhibitory activity ...

The seminal report from Takahashi and Yamanka in 2006 describing the reprogramming of somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells [1] marked the beginning of a new field of research, resulting in hundreds of publications in a short 3 years. Among other things, the promise of iPS cells in cell therapy circumvents many of the ethical concerns associated with embryonic stem (ES) cell res...

BACKGROUND Human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are currently used as powerful resources in regenerative medicine. During very early developmental stages, DNA methylation decreases to an overall low level at the blastocyst stage, from which embryonic stem cells are derived. Therefore, pluripotent stem cells, such as ES and iPS cells, are considered to have hypo-methylated status compared ...

Since the first reports on isolation of pluripotent mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells 3 decades ago, there have been numerous attempts to derive ES cell lines from commercially important livestock species with limited success. The recent discovery that ectopic expression of a handful of stem cell-related genes was capable of inducing pluripotency in rodents and primates provided a novel approach ...

In 2010, Multilineage Differentiating Stress Enduring (Muse) cells were introduced to the scientific community, offering potential resolution to the issue of teratoma formation that plagues both embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent (iPS) stem cells. Isolated from human bone marrow, dermal fibroblasts, adipose tissue and commercially available adipose stem cells (ASCs) under severe cellul...

Experimental transplantation of endocrine tissues has led to significant advances in our understanding of endocrinology and metabolism. Endocrine cell transplantation therapy is expected to be applied to the treatment of metabolic endocriopathies. Restoration of functional pancreatic beta-cell mass or of functional adipose mass are reasonable treatment approaches for patients with diabetes or l...