Open AccessFrom human somatic stem cells to human iPS cells – State of the art and future needs
Author(s) -
Sakurada K.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
isbt science series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1751-2824
pISSN - 1751-2816
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-2824.2009.01280.x
Subject(s) - reprogramming , epigenetics , epigenome , somatic cell , stem cell , biology , phenotype , epigenesis , microbiology and biotechnology , dna methylation , genetics , cell , gene expression , gene
The term environmental epigenetics refers the alterations in phenotype influenced by environmental exposures with the elucidation of epigenetic mechanisms responsible for altered gene expression. Epigenome of a stem cell is sensitive to environmental exposures. This character would cause phenotypic instability during in vitro expansion of a stem cell and disease susceptibility originated from a somatic stem cell. Although a reprogramming technology is to erase these disease‐inducing epigenetic marks, recent knowledge indicate the incompleteness of the artificial reprogramming and the physiological reprogramming.