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In search of the tabula rasa of human cells

Nature Biotechnology volume 17, pages 23–24 (1999)Cite this article

Two recent scientific reports of the isolation of pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells in humans1,2 have opened exciting new possibilities for cell and gene therapy. They have also stirred up considerable furor about the ethical use of human embryonic and fetal material in research. This controversy was exacerbated when a small company in Massachusetts followed up with a press release showing a picture of a group of cells derived from an embryo produced by transferring a human nucleus into a cow oocyte. An informed public debate on this issue depends on assessing what has actually been achieved so far and what the future therapeutic potential of human ES cells might be.

Mouse ES cells are immortal, pluripotent cell lines derived from the early embryo, with the capacity to generate all tissues of a mouse after reintroduction into the early embryo. This latter property of ES cells has made them the vehicle of choice for introduction of germline genetic modifications into the mouse genome. However, it is the ability of ES cells to differentiate into a wide range of tissue and cell types in vitro that has attracted the attention of those seeking new sources of cells for human transplantation purposes. Two groups have recently reported the generation of human cell lines with many of the properties of mouse ES cells.

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Figure 1: Possible pathways for tissue regeneration from embryonic stem cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital,

    Janet Rossant & Andras Nagy

  2. Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5G 1X5, Ontario, Canada

    Janet Rossant & Andras Nagy

Authors
  1. Janet Rossant
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  2. Andras Nagy
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Rossant, J., Nagy, A. In search of the tabula rasa of human cells. Nat Biotechnol 17, 23–24 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/5194

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