Gene crucial for stem cell maintenance discovered

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of medicine have determine that the Foxd3 gene is a required factor for pluripotency – the ability of stem cells to turn into different types of tissue – in the mammalian embryo. Foxd3 gene expression keeps stem cells from differentiating too soon, holding back the process so that an embryo will have enough stem cells to continue developing normally.

Contact:
Greg Lester
lesterg@uphs.upenn.edu
215-349-5658
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center

Message posted by: Wouter Kalle