Biology term index Related glossaries include
Biologics
Cell Biology
Cell & tissue
technologies
Drug discovery & development
adult
stem cells:
Cells with high proliferative and self renewal
capacities derived from adults. MeSH 2007
There
are stem cells in our bone marrow, brain, babies' cord blood, skin and liver -
but few of them. They sit quietly until an injury, and then divide to become
tissue to repair that part of the body. But some adult stem cells are more
versatile. There are two sorts in bone marrow; one type can become blood cells
and the other can become bone, fat, cartilage and connective tissue.
Medical Marvels, Sandra Boseley, Guardian 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jan/30/stemcells-genetics
See also somatic stem cell
cancer
stem cells:
Cancer
stem cells have now been identified in a variety of tumor types, lending further credibility
to the" cancer stem cell hypothesis," and the proposed role these cells play in
tumorigenesis, metastasis and treatment resistance. Clinical candidates
targeting cancer stem cells continue to show efficacy in the treatment of both
solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Despite these leaps forward,
questions remain around the biology of cancer stem cells, and how best to move
forward toward novel therapeutics for cancer.
cell differentiation:
Progressive
restriction of the developmental potential and increasing specialization of
function which takes place during the development of the embryo and leads to
the formation of specialized cells, tissues, and organs. MeSH, 1966
See
also differentiation
Related terms: induced pluripotent stem cells, multipotent, pluripotent, stem cells,
totipotent
cell based therapies:
Treatment
in which stem cells are induced to
differentiate
into the specific cell type required to repair damaged or destroyed cells or
tissues.
In Stem
Cell Information [World Wide Web site]. Bethesda, MD:
National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013 [cited Thursday,
November 14, 2013] https://stemcells.nih.gov/glossary.htm
There
is no denying that cell therapy has the potential to be one of the most
powerful therapeutic options available. Cell therapy can take several forms
and serve many purposes including altering normal cell response, stimulating
native signaling cascades, performing missing metabolic functions, restoring
lost tissue, or changing the normal course of repair into true regeneration. Related terms: myoblasts,
stem cell transplantation, stem cells;
Biologics cell
therapy
chromatinomics:
The field of stem cell biology is currently being redefined. Stem cell
(hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic) differentiation has been considered
hierarchical in nature, but recent data suggest that there is no
progenitor/stem cell hierarchy, but rather a reversible continuum. The stem
cell (hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic) phenotype, the total
differentiation capacity (hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic), gene
expression as well as other stem cell functional characteristics (homing,
receptor and adhesion molecule expression) vary throughout a cell-cycle
transit widely. This seems to be dependent on shifting chromatin and gene
expression with cell-cycle transit. The published data on DNA methylation,
histone acetylation, and also RNAi, the major regulators of gene expression,
conjoins very well and provides an explanation for the major issues of stem
cell biology. … We are entering a new era of stem cell biology the era of chromatinomics.
We are one step closer to the practical use of cellular therapy for
degenerative diseases. Jan Cerny, Peter J Quesenberry, Chromatin remodeling
and stem cell theory of relativity, J. Cell. Physiol. 201: 1-16, 2004
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15281084
differentiation:
The process
whereby an unspecialized embryonic cell acquires the features of a specialized
cell such as a heart, liver, or muscle cell. Differentiation is controlled by
the interaction of a cell's genes with the physical and chemical conditions
outside the cell, usually through signaling pathways involving proteins
embedded in the cell surface.
In Stem
Cell Information [World Wide Web site]. Bethesda, MD:
National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013 [cited Thursday,
November 14, 2013] https://stemcells.nih.gov/glossary.htm
In cancer, refers to how mature (developed) the cancer cells
are in a tumor. Differentiated tumor cells resemble normal cells and tend to
grow and spread at a slower rate than undifferentiated or poorly-
differentiated tumor cells, which lack the structure and function of normal
cells and grow uncontrollably. CancerNet
Related terms:
multipotent,
pluripotent, stem cells, totipotent
Narrower term: cell differentiation-
or is this equivalent?
Broader term: developmental biology
Embryonic stem cells ES:
Cultured
cells derived from the pluripotent inner cell mass of blastocyst- stage
embryos. NHLBI Broader term: stem cells
Related term: hematopoietic stem cells
Executive
Order (EO) 13505,
entitled Removing
Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells. 2009
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2009-03-11/pdf/E9-5441.pdf
fetal
stem cells:
Cells derived from a FETUS that retain the
ability to divide, proliferate and provide progenitor cells that can
differentiate into specialized cells. MeSH 2007
hematopoiesis:
The
development and formation of various types of blood cells. MeSH
hematopoietic stem cells:
Progenitor cells from which all
blood cells derive. MeSH, 1984
An unspecialized precursor cell that will develop into a
mature blood cell. NHGRI Related terms: embryonic stem cells, hematopoiesis,
mesenchymal stem cells, multipotent, pluripotent, totipotent; Broader term: stem
cells
human embryonic stem cells hESc:
A type
of pluripotent stem cells derived from early stage
human embryos, up to and including the
blastocyst stage,
that are capable of dividing without differentiating for a prolonged
period in culture, and are known to develop into cells and tissues of the
three primary germ layers.
In Stem
Cell Information [World Wide Web site]. Bethesda, MD:
National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013 [cited Thursday,
November 14, 2013] Available at
https://stemcells.nih.gov/glossary.htm
Guidelines
for Human Embryonic Stem cells, National Academy of Sciences, 2005
http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11278.html
See also pluripotent stem cell research,
human induced pluripotent stem cells
human induced pluripotent
stem cells hiPS:
Reprogramming
differentiated human cells to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells
has applications in basic biology, drug development, and
transplantation. Human iPS cell derivation previously required vectors
that integrate into the genome, which can create mutations and
limit the utility of the cells in both research and clinical applications.
Here, we describe the derivation of human iPS cells using
non-integrating episomal vectors. After removal of the episome, iPS
cells completely free of vector and transgene sequences are derived
that are similar to human embryonic stem (ES) cells in
proliferative and developmental potential.
Junying Yu 1*, Kejin Hu 2, Kim Smuga-Otto,
Shulan Tian 3, Ron Stewart 3, Igor I. Slukvin 4,
James A. Thomson 5*
Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Free of Vector and Transgene
Sequences,
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1172482 published online March 26, 2009
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1172482
induced pluripotent stem cells IPS:
A type of pluripotent stem cell, similar to an embryonic stem cell, formed by
the introduction of certain embryonic genes into a somatic cell. Stem
Cell Glossary
https://stemcells.nih.gov/glossary.htm#ips
Mesenchymal Stem Cells MSCs
Cells
that can develop into distinct mesenchymal tissue such as BONE;
TENDONS;
MUSCLES;
ADIPOSE
TISSUE; CARTILAGE;
NERVE
TISSUE; and BLOOD
and BLOOD
VESSELS . MeSH 2004 Related terms:
mesoderm, hematopoietic stem cells
A term
that is currently used to define non-blood adult stem cells from a variety of
tissues, although it is not clear that mesenchymal stem cells from different
tissues are the same. Stem cells glossary
https://stemcells.nih.gov/glossary.htm
mesoderm: The middle
germ layer of the embryo. MeSH
multipotent stem cells:
Specialized
stem cells that are committed to give rise to cells that have a particular
function; examples are MYOBLASTS;
MYELOID
PROGENITOR CELLS; and skin stem cells.
(Stem Cells: A Primer [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health
(US); 2000 May [cited 2002 Apr 5]. MeSH 2003
Related terms: pluripotent stem cells, totipotent stem cells,
unipotent stem cells
neoplastic
stem cells: Colony-forming cells which
give rise to NEOPLASMS. They have properties similar to normal stem cells,
i.e., high proliferative and self-renewal capacities. MeSH 2008 (1984)
neural
stem cells:
A
stem cell found in adult neural tissue that can give rise to neurons and glial
(supporting) cells.
Stem Cell Information
[World Wide Web site]. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services,
[cited
]
https://stemcells.nih.gov/glossary.htm
Despite the promise shown by antibody-based therapies, the large
molecular size of antibodies limits their ability to efficiently penetrate
solid tumors and precludes efficient crossing of the blood-brain-barrier into
the central nervous system (CNS). Consequently, poorly vascularized solid
tumors and CNS metastases cannot be effectively treated by
intravenously-injected antibodies. The inherent tumor-tropic properties of
human neural stem cells (NSCs) can potentially be harnessed to overcome these
obstacles and significantly improve cancer immunotherapy.
Intravenously-delivered NSCs preferentially migrate to primary and metastatic
tumor sites within and outside the CNS. Therefore, we hypothesized that NSCs
could serve as an ideal cellular delivery platform for targeting antibodies to
malignant tumors.
Neural
stem cells as a novel platform for tumor-specific delivery of therapeutic
antibodies, Frank RT et. al
PLoS One. 2009 Dec 15;4(12):e8314.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20016813
See also
Drug delivery & formulation:
blood brain barrier
pluripotent stem cells:
Cells that can give rise to most types of cells but not all types of cells
necessary for fetal development. (Stem Cells: A Primer [Internet]. Bethesda
(MD): National Institutes of Health (US); 2000 May [cited 2002 Apr 5]. MeSH
2003
Cells able to develop into most specialized types of cells.
Broader terms: totipotent stem cells, stem cells; Narrower
terms: induced pluripotent stem cells, multipotent stem cells
progenitor cells:
A progenitor cell is a
biological
cell that, like a
stem
cell, has a tendency to differentiate into a specific type of cell, but is
already more specific than a stem cell and is pushed to differentiate into its
"target" cell. The most important difference between stem cells and
progenitor cells is that stem cells can replicate indefinitely, whereas
progenitor cells can only divide a limited number of times. Controversy
about the exact definition remains and the concept is still evolving
Wikipedia accessed March 24 2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progenitor_cell
See also fetal stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, multipotent stem
cells, totipotent stem cells
quiescence:
the
reversible state of a cell in which it does not divide but retains the
ability to re-enter cell proliferation. Some adult stem cells are maintained
in a quiescent state and can be rapidly activated when stimulated, for
example by injury to the tissue in which they reside. Nature quiescence
https://www.nature.com/subjects/quiescence
Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT):
A technique that combines an enucleated egg and
the nucleus of a somatic cell to make an embryo.
SCNT can be used for therapeutic or reproductive purposes, but the initial
stage that combines an enucleated egg and a somatic cell nucleus is the
same. See also therapeutic cloning and
reproductive cloning. NIH Stem cell
glossary
somatic (adult) stem cell -
A relatively rare undifferentiated cell found in many organs and
differentiated tissues with a limited capacity for both self renewal (in the
laboratory) and differentiation. Such cells vary in their differentiation
capacity, but it is usually limited to cell types in the organ of origin.
This is an active area of investigation. NIH Stem cells glossary
stem cell transplantation:
The transfer of STEM CELLS
from one individual to another within the same species (TRANSPLANTATION,
HOMOLOGOUS) or between species (XENOTRANSPLANTATION), or transfer within the
same individual (TRANSPLANTATION, AUTOLOGOUS). The source and location of the
stem cells determines their potency or pluripotency to differentiate into
various cell types. MeSH 2003
stem cells:
Relatively undifferentiated cells of the same lineage (family
type) that retain the ability to divide and cycle throughout postnatal life to
provide cells that can become specialized and take the place of those that die
or are lost. Includes Fibroblasts, Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Erythroid
Progenitor Cells, Tumor Stem Cell MeSH, 1984
Related terms:
Gene
categories: pangenes parthenotes.
Narrower terms: embryonic stem cells, hematopopoietic stem
cells, multipotent stem cells, totipotent stem cells, unipotent stem cells
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell
stemness:
An extensive genetic comparison of different
types of stem cells and terminally differentiated cells has revealed that
hundreds of genes are likely to be involved in shaping the characteristic
properties of stem cells. The studies show that embryonic, neural and
hematopoietic (blood-cell-forming) stem cells seem to share a common genetic
program that may be important for "stemness." These initial
gene-profiling studies provide basic information about the nature of stem
cells that should aid long- term efforts to induce stem cells to differentiate
into cells that can be used to replace tissue damaged by disease or trauma.
Gene Profiling Reveals the Essence of "Stemness", Howard Hughes
Medical Institute, Sept. 12, 2002
http://www.hhmi.org/news/melton3.html
totipotent:
The
state of a cell that is capable of giving rise to all types of differentiated
cells found in an organism, as well as the supporting extra-embryonic
structures of the placenta. A single totipotent cell could, by division in
utero, reproduce the whole organism.
In Stem
Cell Information [World Wide Web site]. Bethesda, MD:
National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013 [cited Thursday,
November 14, 2013] https://stemcells.nih.gov/glossary.htm
unipotent stem cells:
A unipotent stem cell refers to a cell that can differentiate along only one
lineage.
http://www.explorestemcells.co.uk/unipotentstemcells.html
Related terms: multipotent stem cells,
pluripotent stem cells,
totipotent stem cells
IUPAC definitions are reprinted with the
permission of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.