Stem Cells

and somatic nuclear cell transfer

Dr. Rini Puspitaningrum, M.Biomed

What is stem cells?
A stem cell is a primitive cell
capable of:
► self-renewal
► conversion to more
differentiated cells
Pluripotent stem cells
► proliferation
► leading to regeneration of
tissues

Tissue stem cells

What makes stem cells so valuable?
Biology Applications
Pluripotent Tissue stem Cell therapy
stem cells cells Transplantation of specific cells
and precursors
Research
Genetic, molecular and biologic
control of tissue growth and
development; in vitro and in vivo
system for understanding
function of genes and proteins
New drugs
Early efficacy and toxicity
screening system for drug and
Image modified from Keller & Snodgrass, chemical development
Nat Med 1999; 5(2): 151-152.
Different attributes
Pluripotent stem cells Tissue stem cells
ESCs iPSCs (multipotent)

Adult, juvenile and

Source Embryo Somatic cell
fetal organs
Rate of proliferation High High Usually low
Availability High High Low
Spontaneous
Yes Yes No
differentiation

Capacity to produce
High High Low
diverse cell types
Tissue stem cells
► often called “adult” or somatic stem cells but also
includes stem cells isolated from fetal tissues and
umbilical cord blood
► involved in tissue homeostasis and repair
► generally multipotent
► difficult to isolate and grow in large numbers in the
laboratory

Bone marrow
HSCs CD34+
MSCs CD34-
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs)
► derived from human embryos by
– harvesting inner cell mass of donated
excess IVF embryos
– or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)
– or parthenogenetic activation
► can be grown indefinitely in the laboratory in an
undifferentiated state
► retain ability to specialise into all the different tissue
types – referred to as pluripotent
 Derivation of human embryonic stem cells
1. From donated IVF embryos 2. Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)
Donor cell Egg
Donor
nucleus Nucleus
Donated IVF embryo removed
Egg’s nucleus replaced by
(no longer required
the nucleus from the donor
for treatment)
cell
Early SCNT embryo is
Blastocyst stage formed
embryo (5-7 days
development) Blastocyst stage embryo (5-7 days
Stem cells isolated development)
from embryo which Stem cells isolated from embryo
is destroyed in the which is destroyed in the process
Stem cells are cultured in the
process
Stem cells are cultured in laboratory
the laboratory
Nuclear transfer stem cells are
genetically identical to the donor
Stem cell line distributed to scientists
SCNT is also known as
Research
Normal development and Developing Drug therapeutic cloning.
understanding disease therapies discovery
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)
► Can create stem cells directly from a patient

► Can be maintained indefinitely in the laboratory

► Pluripotent with similar properties to ESCs

 This cell
Can form the
Embryo and placenta

This cell
Can just form the
embryo

Fully mature
How do cells know what to become?
All cells in a person share the same genotype
Yet eye cells differ from nose cells
Genetic
engineering
RNA
DNA

Niche
factors Protein

Tissue Cell
therapy type
Pros and Cons to iPS cell technology
► Pros:
– Cells would be genetically identical to patient or donor
of skin cells (no immune rejection!)
– Do not need to use an embryo
► Cons:
– Cells would still have genetic defects
– One of the pluripotency genes is a cancer gene
– Viruses might insert genes in places we don’t want
them (causing mutations)
 Bone marrow transplant:
Example of adult stem cell-based therapy
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT)

Udder cell

Egg cell

Cloning of embryonic stem cells

Types of Cloning