Monday, May 12, 2008

How Embryonic Stem Cells Develop Into Tissue-specific Cells Demonstrated

Source: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Date: May 12, 2008

Summary:

While it has long been known that embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into any kind of tissue-specific cells, the exact mechanism as to how this occurs has heretofore not been demonstrated. Now, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere have succeeded in graphically revealing this process, resolving a long-standing question as to whether the stem cells achieve their development through selective activation or selective repression of genes.