Moreover, EBD cells appear to accept "foreign" genes readily a necessity, Shamblott says, for scientists to produce large quantities of differentiated "replacement" cells for human transplants.
The researchers began their work with embryonic germ cells, a type of hPSC drawn from discarded fetal tissue. In culture, the germ cells grow into a small mass of cells called an embryoid body. After teasing the embryoid bodies apart using gentle enzymes, the scientists cultured the separated cells in one of six "very simple growth environments."
Sample cells from each environment now called embryoid body derived cells were grown again, this time in culture solutions that favored growth of specific cell lines, such as nerve cells, and allowed to divide undisturbed for many generations.
The researchers quickly recognized EBD cells ability to grow readily, but hadnt a clear idea what theyd produced. To their surprise, tests to identify molecules characteristic of specific cell types revealed markers from at least four basic mammalian cell lines, including those that give rise to neural (nerve) cells, muscle and blood.
The researchers believe they have made a sort of biologic raw material which, when placed within specific environments in the body, will be prodded to differentiate into specific tissues.
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Contact: Marjorie Centofanti
mcentofanti@jhmi.edu
410-955-8725
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
25-Dec-2000