干细胞研究的伦理问题

人类胚胎干细胞研究的伦理问题来自两个方面。首先,胚胎干细胞是从人类胚胎中获得的,这样就冲破了对人胚胎研究的禁区。其次,胚胎干细胞的研究将不可避免地涉及克隆人的技术,因而使人们不得不切实地面对克隆人的问题。     

干细胞研究技术与伦理狭路相逢？

目前,虽然人们对干细胞研究的反对之声不绝于耳,但随人类胚胎干细胞研究的不断深入,诱导性功能干细胞的进一步应用及干细胞研究中更好的工具的开发,临床试验中干细胞疗法的成功将成为可能。     

胚胎干细胞与伦理之争将会消解？

2007年11月中旬,日本京都大学山中伸弥和美国威斯康星大学詹姆斯·汤姆森的研究组分别在《细胞》与《科学》上宣布利用几种转录因子联合转染人的体细胞已经成功地诱导出多能干细胞,引起世界生物医学     

揭秘成体干细胞

干细胞研究给人类带来很多福音已是不争的事实,但作为干细胞研究主要部分的胚胎干细胞研究在取得系列成果的同时也带来了一系列的伦理争议(见本刊上期)。而时于成体干细胞的研究在一定程度上回避了伦理问题。本文系统介绍了成体干细胞研究的基础知识、研究现状及发展前景。细读此文,相信你一定会有所收获。     

干细胞生物工程的研究

在实现对人类基因组进行大规模测序的科学重大突破后,生命科学领域内最有价值、最具应用前景,而且最具有影响力的研究课题之一就是细胞生物学以及干细胞生物工程。本文阐述了干细胞领域的概念、种类,总结了干细胞生物工程的临床应用前景。     

干细胞·“女儿国”·伦理争议？

在2007年的今天,干细胞对于很多人来说,已经不是一个陌生的科学词汇了。电视上,报纸上,互联网上,到处可以看见“干细胞”这个词。如果用科学的术语给干细胞一个定义,那就是,细胞在其分化过程中,常常由于高度分化而完全失去再分裂的能力,最终衰老死亡,为了弥补这一不足,机体在发展适应过程中保留了部分未分化的原始细胞,     

克隆技术引发的伦理之争

自从克隆羊多莉诞生以来,有关克隆人的伦理学争论就一直喋喋不休。世界上的各种政治组织和各国政府都明确反对生殖性克隆,而科学家们则对克隆技术的不完善心存疑虑。为了克服克隆过程中的伦理学障碍和技术缺陷,科学家们在核移植技术的基础上,又发展了异种核移植技术、诱导多能干细胞技术等。诱导的多能干细胞可以分化成各种组织,甚至能发育成个体,这些方法使克隆技术不再破坏胚胎,避免了伦理学纠纷。尽管科学技术在进步,但是人们对克隆人仍有很多不解和困惑。从自主、不伤害、行善和公正等四大生命伦理学原则着手,在技术层面上提出了尽管克隆人不会搞乱人际关系,不会减少人类基因多样性,也不会克隆出类似希特勒的战争狂人,但是,人类的生殖性克隆却剥夺了克隆人的自主性,对克隆人的生理和心理都有所伤害,违反了公正和行善的原则。因此,是否可以克隆人在伦理上仍然是需要长期讨论的问题。     

干细胞研究步入充满活力的新时代

“国际干细胞组织伦理学研讨会”和“国际干细胞组织第八届年会”日前在北京举行,27个国家和研究机构的代表出席该会议,就国际人类干细胞领域的政策制定、管理调控、干细胞研究涉及的伦理问题及障碍、干细胞最新研究进展和未来发展趋势等问题进行探讨。     

肝癌干细胞的研究现状

肿瘤发生的癌干细胞假说认为肿瘤组织是由处于各种分化等级的细胞组成的,其中的癌干细胞数量虽少,但在肿瘤的发生、恶化、转移中起重要作用。肝细胞癌作为最常见的恶性肿瘤之一,其中是否存在“肝癌干细胞”的问题一直倍受人们关注。该文介绍肝癌干细胞的研究情况。     

中国干细胞研究一瞥

2010 has seen rapid progress in stem cell research in China.Not only the major funding agencies had provided extensive funding to stem cell research,the publications by Chinese stem cell biologists also flourished in top-notch scientific journals.In this special review,we highlighted some recent studies that had been published in Science China Life Sciences and Cell Research,two key SCI journals based in China.Not surprisingly,these studies mainly focused on some of the highly pursued stem cell types: embryonic stem cells(ES cells),induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs),neural stem cells(NSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs).     

International stem cell research considerations

Legislative bodies in the international arena and in individual countries are actively engaged in developing policies regarding the establishment, distribution and use of human embryonic stem cells. Present and anticipated policies concerning research on human adult and embryonic stem cells of possible medical importance reflect the wide spectrum of popular views that range from complete rejection to enthusiastic support. Since the public debate concerning the use of human gametes or embryos for research purposes is not likely to abate anytime soon, all the more urgent becomes the quest for alternative approaches toward generating stem cells that are not embryonic and yet are pluripotent.     

肿瘤干细胞的认知历程与研发热点

肿瘤组织中存在一小群能够自我更新、增殖和分化,对肿瘤的发生、发展、复发、转移起决定作用的细胞,即肿瘤干细胞（cancer stem cells,CSCs）。在传统理论方法已不能攻克癌症的情况下,肿瘤干细胞理论为我们重新认识肿瘤的起源和本质提供了新的方向和视角。从20世纪50年代至今,随着生物技术的发展,肿瘤干细胞理论经历了从设想到验证的漫长历程。但该理论自提出之日起便受到来自各方面不同观点的质疑。当今针对肿瘤干细胞癌症治疗主要集中在靶向问题上。因此,寻找特异的肿瘤干细胞标志物,探索肿瘤干细胞与周围微环境间的复杂关系以及发现调控其功能的关键信号通路成为当前研究的热点。     

诱导多能干细胞研究进展

人类诱导多能干细胞（induced pluripotent stem cells,iPS细胞）的建立被公认为目前最重要的科技进展之一。iPS细胞在动物疾病模型上的成功治疗,病患特异性iPS细胞的研究及iPS细胞的定向分化研究将有可能使人们避开治疗性克隆的伦理和技术障碍,给人类疾病的干细胞治疗带来光明的前景。本文从iPS细胞的诱导策略和方法,来源细胞及筛选、重编程机制的研究现状、应用前景以及研究中存在的问题等方面对其作一综述和讨论。     

Bloodlines of haematopoietic stem cell research in Japan

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) can supply all blood cells throughout the adult life of individuals. Based on this property, HSCs have been used for bone marrow and cord blood transplantation. Among various stem cells, HSCs were recognized earliest and were studied most extensively, providing a model for other stem cells. Knowledge of HSC regulation has rapidly accumulated of late. Contributions of scientists in Japan to progress HSC biology are here briefly overviewed. Focusing on the original work accomplished in Japan in the last two decades, people who have led such activities are introduced and their relationships with one another are sketched.     

Clinical grade adult stem cell banking

There has been a great deal of scientific interest recently generated by the potential therapeutic applications of adult stem cells in human care but there are several challenges regarding quality and safety in clinical applications and a number of these challenges relate to the processing and banking of these cells ex-vivo. As the number of clinical trials and the variety of adult cells used in regenerative therapy increases, safety remains a primary concern. This has inspired many nations to formulate guidelines and standards for the quality of stem cell collection, processing, testing, banking, packaging and distribution. Clinically applicable cryopreservation and banking of adult stem cells offers unique opportunities to advance the potential uses and widespread implementation of these cells in clinical applications. Most current cryopreservation protocols include animal serum proteins and potentially toxic cryoprotectant additives (CPAs) that prevent direct use of these cells in human therapeutic applications. Long term cryopreservation of adult stem cells under good manufacturing conditions using animal product free solutions is critical to the widespread clinical implementation of ex-vivo adult stem cell therapies. Furthermore, to avoid any potential cryoprotectant related complications, reduced CPA concentrations and efficient post-thaw washing to remove CPA are also desirable. The present review focuses on the current strategies and important aspects of adult stem cell banking for clinical applications. These include current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs), animal protein free freezing solutions, cryoprotectants, freezing & thawing protocols, viability assays, packaging and distribution. The importance and benefits of banking clinical grade adult stem cells are also discussed.     

Limiting cell aggregation during mesenchymal stem cell expansion on microcarriers

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are known to be a valuable cell source for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, one of the main limiting steps in their clinical use is the amplification step. MSC expansion on microcarriers has emerged during the last few years, fulfilling the lack of classical T‐flasks expansion. Even if the therapeutic potential of MSC as aggregates has been recently highlighted, cell aggregation during expansion has to be avoided. Thus, MSC culture on microcarriers has still to be improved, notably concerning cell aggregation prevention. The aim of this study was to limit cell aggregation during MSC expansion on Cytodex‐1^®, by evaluating the impact of several culture parameters. First, MSC cultures were performed at different agitation rates (0, 25, and 75 rpm) and different initial cell densities (25 and 50 × 10⁶ cell g^?1 Cytodex‐1^®). Then, the MSC aggregates were put into contact with additional available surfaces (T‐flask, fresh and used Cytodex‐1^®) at different times (before and after cell aggregation). The results showed that cell aggregation was partly induced by agitation and prevented in static cultures. Moreover, cell aggregation was dependent on cell density and correlated with a decrease in the total cell number. It was however shown that the aggregated organization could be dissociated when in contact with additional surfaces such as T‐flasks or fresh Cytodex‐1^® carriers. Finally, cell aggregation could be successfully limited in spinner flask by adding fresh Cytodex‐1^® carriers before its onset. Those results indicated that MSC expansion on agitated Cytodex‐1^® microcarriers could be performed without cell aggregation, avoiding a decrease in total cell number. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012     

维持胚胎干细胞多能性的分子机制

胚胎干细胞（ES细胞）来源于早期发育的胚胎,具有分化为任何细胞类型的多能性,因此具有巨大的基础研究及潜在的应用前景.目前认为ES细胞主要通过一些外源性信号分子的作用及某些重要的内源性转录因子的表达共同起作用来达到其维持多能性的目的.外源性信号分子LIF、BMP4以及Wnt等介导的信号传导通路与内源性转录因子Oct4、Nanog、Sox2、FoxD3等共同起作用来抑制那些促进ES细胞分化的基因表达和激活那些有助于维持ES细胞多能性维持的基因表达,进而形成一个相互调控和依存的基因调控网络共同维持ES细胞的多能性.     

诱导干细胞分化为神经细胞的研究进展

干细胞是在机体分化过程中存在的具有自我增殖、更新能力,且能形成各种类型分化细胞的一类细胞的总称。它不但为细胞发育分化和细胞诱导研究提供了很好的模型,而且对于临床细胞替代疗法与细胞移植具有重要意义。作者综合干细胞研究的成果,从方法、机理及诱导得到的神经细胞的检查等几个方面对诱导干细胞向神经细胞分化的进展加以综述。