Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Posted: April 30, 2006
Researchers have mapped how a key developmental ingredient controls the genome. The researchers discovered that a set of proteins called Polycomb group proteins represses entire networks of genes that are essential for later development, the same genes that begin to turn on as a stem cell starts to differentiate. That explains why embryonic stem cells immediately grow into specialized cells when Polycomb proteins are lost. The Researchers hope to use this map to guide the fate of cells so they can be used to replace diseased or damaged cells.
Commentary: Hopefully scientists will be able to apply this this finding to patients in order to replace cells that will lead to treatments of diseases and medical conditions.
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