A chemical approach to stem cell biology and regenerative medicine Part of a Nature Insight series, this review by Ding and others details how chemical approaches can move the young stem cell field forward through scientific insight as well as practical and clinical applications. Xu, Y., Shi, Y. & Ding, S. Nature 453, 338–344 (2008).

Self-renewal of embryonic stem cells by a small molecule This PNAS paper by Ding and colleagues describes using a high-throughput screen to find a new small molecule that maintains self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells without feeder cells via a mechanism that probes insights for pluripotencycy. Chen, S. B. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103, 17266–17271 (2006).

Production of pancreatic hormone–expressing endocrine cells from human embryonic stem cells This Nature Biotechnology paper from Novocell researchers elegantly reports a directed, stepwise differentiation, highlighting the importance of recapitulating in vivo developmental processes. D'Amour, K. A. et al. Nat. Biotechnol. 24, 1392–1401 (2006).

Prostaglandin E2 regulates vertebrate haematopoietic stem cell homeostasis This Nature paper by Zon and others details a chemical screen in zebrafish that not only identifies a potent regulator but also demonstrates that a small molecule can enhance stem cell function. North, T. E. et al. Nature 447, 1007–1011 (2007).

Therapeutic targeting of a stem cell niche This Nature Biotechnology paper by Scadden and colleagues shows that the stem cell niche can be targeted in vivo by conventional therapeutics. Adams, G. B. et al. Nat. Biotechnol. 25, 238–243 (2007).