Source: Whitehead Institute for Medical Research
Date: August 7, 2008
Summary:
Short snippets of RNA called microRNAs help to keep embryonic stem cells in their stem cell state. Researchers now have discovered the gene circuitry that controls microRNAs in embryonic stem cells. Whitehead Institute researchers mapped the control circuitry of stem cells, revealing how they maintain themselves or decide to differentiate, providing key clues for regenerative medicine and reprogramming of adult cells to a stem cell state. These maps also aid in the understanding of human development and diseases such as cancer.
