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A chemical approach to stem-cell biology and regenerative medicine

Nature volume 453, pages 338–344 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

An improved understanding of stem-cell and regenerative biology, as well as a better control of stem-cell fate, is likely to produce treatments for many devastating diseases and injuries. Chemical approaches are starting to have an increasingly important role in this young field. Attention has focused on chemical approaches that allow the precise manipulation of cells in vitro to obtain homogeneous cell types for cell-based therapies. Another promising approach is the development of conventional chemical and biological therapeutics to stimulate endogenous cells to regenerate. Such therapeutics can act on target cells or their niches in vivo to promote cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, reprogramming and homing.

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Figure 1: A screening approach.
Figure 2: Selected chemical compounds that regulate cell fate.
Figure 3: Therapeutic strategies for regenerative medicine.

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Acknowledgements

We thank members of the Ding laboratory for stimulating work and discussions. S.D. is supported by funding from the Scripps Research Institute, the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers MH074404, HD053759, HL084295 and HD058110), the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, 92037, California, USA

    Yue Xu, Yan Shi & Sheng Ding

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S.D. is a founder of Fate Therapeutics.

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Correspondence should be addressed to S.D. (sding@scripps.edu).

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Xu, Y., Shi, Y. & Ding, S. A chemical approach to stem-cell biology and regenerative medicine. Nature 453, 338–344 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07042

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