Human Embryonic Stem Cells Are The Ultimate Perpetual Fuel Cell, Study Shows
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070711134645.htm A startling discovery on the development of human embryonic stem cells by scientists at McMaster University will change how future research in the area is done.
An article published in the journal Nature reports on a new understanding of the growth of human stem cells. It had been thought previously that stem cells are directly influenced by cells in the local environment or 'niche', but the situation may be more complex. Human embryonic stem cells are perpetual machines that generate fuel for life.
Researchers of the McMaster Cancer and Stem Cell Research Institute show that human embryonic stem (ES) cells can actually produce distinctive niche cells, which then release stem-cell nourishing proteins to help keep their 'parents' ticking over.
Scientific Director Mick Bhatia and colleagues provide the first evidence that human ES cells have the unique ability to generate human-ES-cell-derived fibroblast-like niche cells (hdFs) in vitro despite removal from their in vivo microenvironment. These hdFs then provide a continuous source of supportive proteins, including insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-II), which they now show could be "the" protein to sustain hESCs..