Reyftmann L, Dechaud H, Hamamah S, Pucéat M, Hédon B
Service de gynécologie-obstétrique B et médecine de la reproduction, faculté de médecine, université Montpellier-I, hôpital universitaire Arnaud-de-Villeneuve, 371, avenue du Doyen-Gaston-Giraud, 34295 Montpellier 5, France.
Gynecol Obstet Fertil. 2004 Oct;32(10):866-71. doi: 10.1016/j.gyobfe.2004.08.012.
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells, with the ability to self renew and to differentiate into specialised cells. Embryonic stem cells (ES) have proven to be truly pluripotent, since they are able to give derivatives of the three primitive embryonic layers. Human ES have a normal karyotype, maintain high telomerase activity, and exhibit remarkable long-term proliferative potential, providing the possibility for unlimited expansion in culture. Though human ES cell-based transplantation therapy holds great promises to successfully treat a variety of diseases (e.g., Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and heart failure) many barriers remain in the way of successful clinical trials. Less spectacular, the applications in the field of reproductive biology are also outstanding: stem cell biology will lead us to a better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of events such as infertility, failure of implantation, genomic imprinting and meiosis. The obstetrician and gynaecologist could act an important part in the production and study of embryonic stem cells. However, these data have to be integrated in the ethical and juridical background of embryonic stem cell research in France.
干细胞是未分化的细胞，具有自我更新和分化为特化细胞的能力。胚胎干细胞（ES）已被证明具有真正的多能性，因为它们能够产生三个原始胚胎层的衍生物。人类胚胎干细胞具有正常的核型，保持高端粒酶活性，并展现出显著的长期增殖潜力，为在培养中无限扩增提供了可能性。尽管基于人类胚胎干细胞的移植疗法有望成功治疗多种疾病（如帕金森病、糖尿病和心力衰竭），但在成功开展临床试验的道路上仍存在许多障碍。不太引人注目的是，其在生殖生物学领域的应用也很突出：干细胞生物学将使我们更好地理解诸如不孕、着床失败、基因组印记和减数分裂等事件的细胞和分子机制。产科医生和妇科医生在胚胎干细胞的产生和研究中可以发挥重要作用。然而，这些数据必须纳入法国胚胎干细胞研究的伦理和法律背景之中。
