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Stem cells are cells that have the ability to become many different types of cells. While they’re most famous for being used to treat diseases and injuries, stem cells are also a powerful tool for regenerating tissue. One of the ways researchers are using stem cells to regenerate tissue is by growing them on feeder layers. This is important because it helps ensure that the stem cells remain pluripotent, or able to become any type of cell in the body. Recently, researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies published a study in which they found that activin A maintains pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells in the absence of feeder layers. This finding has potential implications for regenerative medicine, as it could allow researchers to generate more varied and customized treatments without having to rely on feeder layers.
Methods:
In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists at Oregon Health and Science University used Activin A to maintain the pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells in the absence of feeder layers. The results showed that Activin A was able to encourage stem cells to differentiate into any type of cell, including those needed for tissue regeneration. This discovery has the potential to improve regenerative medicine by allowing scientists to create therapies using pluripotent stem cells without having to rely on other cell types.
Results
Activin A is a key growth factor for human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and plays an important role in their maintenance of pluripotency. hESCs can differentiate into any type of cell, including neurons, muscle cells, and liver cells if injected back into a patient. However, the ability to generate these types of cell lines from scratch is inefficient due to the lack of feeder layers that can support their growth.
In a study published in Stem Cell Reports, researchers found that activin A was able to maintain the pluripotency of hESCs when they were cultured without feeder layers. This suggests that activin A could be used as a potential tool to improve the efficiency of hESC generation in vitro. The research team also found that activin A reduced the number of mistakes made during hESC differentiation. These findings have potential implications for regenerative medicine and may allow researchers to create more efficient cell lines from hESCs.
Discussion
There are many potential applications for stem cells, but one of the most important is their potential to replace damaged or missing tissues in the body. Stem cells can be cultured in a laboratory until they become like the cells that make up the tissues in our bodies. This process is called pluripotency. Unfortunately, not all stem cells are capable of becoming all types of tissue. In order to make sure that these cells become the right type of tissue, researchers often need to add a layer of cells called a feeder layer. However, adding feeder layers can often reduce a stem cell's pluripotency and cause them to lose its ability to become different types of tissue.
One way that researchers have been able to overcome this problem is by using activin A. Activin A is a hormone that was originally discovered in chicken eggs and has been shown to play an important role in regulating pluripotency. When added to stem cells isolated from human embryos, activin A has been shown to maintain their pluripotency even when they are not exposed to feeder layers. This indicates that activin A may be an effective method for improving the quality of stem cells without requiring feeder layers.
Conclusion
This study shows that Activin A is a hypoallergenic supplements that maintains the pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells in the absence of feeder layers, providing a potential method for maintaining these cells without the need for tissue culture. There are many primary benefits of hypoallergenic supplements. This could help to alleviate some of the challenges associated with stem cell research and allow scientists to more easily explore and study how different factors affect stem cells.
