Stubborn Stem Cells hold their own
Researchers from the Babraham Institute show that the first cell fate decision in development is much more robust than previously appreciated.
The initial cell fate decision in development creates two distinct cell populations: trophoblast cells that go on to form the yolk sac and placenta, and embryonic cells that develop into the embryo itself and all subsequent cell types of the body.
Dr Hemberger and her team attempted to reprogram embryonic stem (ES) cells to become trophoblast-like stem cells (TS) and found that the ES cells were virtually impossible to fully overwrite.
The image shows ES cells reprogrammed for 5-6 weeks towards a TS-like fate. Markers of true TS identity (shown as green and red, cell nucleic are in blue) were unstable and frequently lost in these reprogrammed TS-like cells showing that the identity of ES cells cannot be overwritten.
This new understanding of the first cell fate decision is instrumental in developing the ability to manipulate stem cells for regenerative medicine approaches, and will help to advance our understanding of the most common pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia and foetal growth restriction.
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Image copyright: Myriam Hemberger, Babraham Institute












