Park Kyung-Soon
Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea.
Int J Stem Cells. 2011 Jun;4(1):18-23. doi: 10.15283/ijsc.2011.4.1.18.
Ligands of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) family members have been implicated in the development and patho-physiological process of various organs. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are characterized by their ability to proliferate indefinitely and differentiated into all three germ layer cells, which are termed as pluripotency and self-renewal,respectively. For successful therapeutic application of ESCs, it is essential to understand the mechanisms underlying self-renewal and pluripotency, which involve complex networks among key factors including transcription factors, epigenetic control, microRNAs and signaling pathways. In this review, we discuss recent progress on the function of TGF beta family ligands and their canonical SMAD signaling in the maintenance of ESC' s identity.
转化生长因子β(TGF-β)家族成员的配体已被证明参与了各种器官的发育和病理生理过程。胚胎干细胞(ESC)的特点是能够无限增殖并分化为所有三个胚层的细胞,这分别被称为多能性和自我更新。为了使ESC成功应用于治疗,了解自我更新和多能性的潜在机制至关重要,这涉及转录因子、表观遗传控制、微小RNA和信号通路等关键因素之间的复杂网络。在这篇综述中,我们讨论了TGF-β家族配体及其经典SMAD信号在维持ESC特性方面的功能的最新进展。