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Stem cell differentiation

Nature Biotechnology volume 22, pages 804–805 (2004)Cite this article

To the editor:

We read with interest Roy and colleagues' report1 regarding fetal neural progenitor immortalization by retroviral overexpression of telomerase reverse transcriptase. By providing evidence of the efficacy (and, perhaps, relative safety) of overexpressing genes that are 'not foreign' to target cells, their findings are certainly a step forward in the quest to realize the therapeutic benefit of stem cells. We were concerned, however, by Rothstein and Snyder's2 suggestion in the accompanying News & Views Feature that the risks of gene-based methodology are a 'myth.' Furthermore, although they ask the important question of “what is the most efficacious yet safest method for expanding” stem cells ex vivo to overcome the tremendous biomedical burden of “isolation, expansion...and directed differentiation,” we believe this issue deserves further examination.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, 257 Campus Drive, Stanford, 94305, CA, USA

    Ali Salim & Michael T. Longaker

  2. The Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 257 Campus Drive, Stanford, 94305, CA, USA

    Ali Salim & Amato J. Giaccia

Authors
  1. Ali Salim
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  2. Amato J. Giaccia
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  3. Michael T. Longaker
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Correspondence to Michael T. Longaker.

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Salim, A., Giaccia, A. & Longaker, M. Stem cell differentiation. Nat Biotechnol 22, 804–805 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0704-804

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