Maintaining Pluripotency in hESC’s
Since 2001, when the USFDA approved “Gleevec” for clinical use, scientists, oncologists and cancer patients alike have understood “signal induction inhibition” as a promising approach for cancer treatment. This piece presents the same concept as it applied to maintaining pluropotency in embryonic stem cells. Investigators at the University of California at San Diego have shown that in embryonic development (and only then) a functioning cell membrane receptor “FZD7” is necessary to sustain the WNT signaling pathway (WNT is a portmanteau for wingless-related integration site, as first discovered in fruit fly genetics) which maintains pluripotency. Any blockage of the receptor pushes the signaling pathway toward differentiation. In cancer stem cells, however, a FZD7-specific compound could stop runaway cell proliferation. MORE
Image Credit: hESCreg.edu