Stem Cells

and Embryonic
Development
How old is this?
What is it?

What is this?
How old is it?

© Mark Hill, UNSW

 Central ethical question
surrounding embryonic stem cell
research:
Under what circumstances, if any, can 5-14 day old human embryos be:

1. Created and destroyed (prevented from developing further, then

immortalized) for research purposes?
2. Donated as research material as a result of the In Vitro
Fertilization procedure?
3. Checked and screened for certain genes then selected for or
against?
 Outline of Presentation
• Natural Fertilization
• In vitro fertilization
• Embryonic development
• Where are embryonic stem cells found?
• What are the other types of stem cells?
• How do CIRM scientists use embryonic SCs?
• Can and should we select for genetic makeup?
Natural Fertilization

The “Old Fashioned Way”

+ =
 Outline of Presentation
• Natural Fertilization
• In vitro fertilization
• Embryonic development
• Where are embryonic stem cells found?
• What are the other types of stem cells?
• How do CIRM scientists use embryonic SCs?
• Can and should we select for genetic makeup?
 Day 1

In the IVF procedure, sperm and eggs “interact” in a dish leading to insemination.
They literally swim up to the egg and burrow toward the nucleus.
The first one to get there wins, and all others are blocked out.

Male fertility issue: Sometimes sperm cannot latch onto and penetrate the egg.
They may choose to have Intra(within)-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
Embryonic
Stem
Cells
 Outline of Presentation
• Natural Fertilization
• In vitro fertilization
• Embryonic development
• Where are embryonic stem cells found?
• What are the other types of stem cells?
• How do CIRM scientists use embryonic SCs?
• Can and should we select for genetic makeup?
Embryonic Development:
Fish model

Keller et al. 2008

 At what point is it a fetus?
• Days 7-14: Uterine implantation
• Day 14: Three distinct layers begin to form (no
more pluripotent stem cells)
• Days 14-21: Beginning of future nervous system
• Days 21-24: Beginning of future face, neck, mouth,
and nose
• Weeks 3-8: Beginning of organ formation
This picture is Week 5
• Week 5-8+: Now it’s called a fetus
(no consensus on a single timepoint)
 Outline of Presentation
• Natural Fertilization
• In vitro fertilization
• Embryonic development
• Where are embryonic stem cells found?
• What are the other types of stem cells?
• How do CIRM scientists use embryonic SCs?
• Can and should we select for genetic makeup?
 This cell
Can form the
entire human being

This cell
Cannot form the
entire human being

Fully mature
Symmetric cell division
 Asymmetric cell division
1. Self-renews
2. Differentiates

Progenitor cell

Stem cell Stem cell

 Outline of Presentation
• Natural Fertilization
• In vitro fertilization
• Embryonic development
• Where are embryonic stem cells found?
• What are the other types of stem cells?
• How do CIRM scientists use embryonic SCs?
• Can and should we select for genetic makeup?
 What is stem cell research?
• Understand more about development, aging,
disease
– Experimental model systems
• Prevent or treat diseases and injuries
– Cell-based therapies
– Pharmaceutical development
• Includes testing and drug delivery
 Spinal cord injury:
Example of embryonic stem cell-based therapy

Geron video: http://www.geron.com/grnopc1clearance/

CIRM funding breakdown: Cell Type
CIRM funds many types of Stem
Cell Research
 Outline of Presentation
• Natural Fertilization
• In vitro fertilization
• Embryonic development
• Where are embryonic stem cells found?
• What are the other types of stem cells?
• How do CIRM scientists use embryonic SCs?
• Can and should we select for genetic makeup?
Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis
• A procedure to see if the baby has a chance of
inheriting genetic diseases
• One-two test cells taken from morula stage
• The embryo can grow normally if chosen for
implantation
• Two techniques:
– Heteroduplex Analysis: DNA is tested for structural
abnormalities
– Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH): Chromosomes
are dyed to look for translocations and check the
number of chromosomes
Ethics of Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis

• If the embryo shows a genetic variation linked

with a genetic disease the parents could
decide to terminate that pregnancy or not use
that embryo
 Discuss:
Under what circumstances, if any, can 5-14 day old
human embryos be:

1.Created and destroyed (prevented from

developing further, then immortalized) for
research purposes?
2.Donated as research material as a result of the In
Vitro Fertilization procedure?
3.Checked and screened for certain genes then
selected for or against?