Stem cells are mother cells that have the potential to become any type of cell in the body. One of the main characteristics of stem cells is their ability to self-renew or multiply while maintaining the potential to develop into other types of cells. This ability of stem cells have made researchers to identify how undifferentiated stem cells become the differentiated cells that form the tissues and organs. Scientists know that turning genes on and off is central to this process.
Researchers from the Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh have identified a protein - Tcf15, that kick-starts the process by which stem cells can develop into different cells in the body.
They conduct their studies on embryonic stem cells of mice. They have also developed a technique enabling them to highlight the presence of the key protein -- Tcf15 -- in the cells. By the technique researchers can identify which cells have the protein and watch how it affects stem cells in real time to gain a better understanding of how it works.
Their discovery could help scientists improve techniques enabling them to turn stem cells into other cell types in the laboratory. These could then be used to test drugs or help create therapies for degenerative conditions.
Researchers pinpointed the protein by looking at how some stem cells are naturally prevented from specializing into other cell types.
They found two sets of proteins, one of which binds to the other blocking them from carrying out their various functions.
They were then able to screen the blocked proteins to find out which ones would enable stem cells to differentiate.
The research is published in the journal Cell Reports.
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