Maintaining the unlimited potential of stem cells
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are the very definition of being full of potential, given that they can become any type of cell in the body. But once they start down the process of turning into a particular type of tissue, they lose their unlimited potential. Assistant Professor Diana Hargreaves, first author Jovylyn Gatchalian and colleagues discovered a new protein complex that keeps the brakes on stem cells, allowing them to maintain their indefinite potential to become any cell type. The new complex, called GBAF, could provide a future target for regenerative medicine.
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