Following on from the 5 most popular posts in Cell Sourcing, today let’s look back at the 5 most visited blog posts in 2014 in the field of stem cells.

#1 – Induced pluripotent neural stem cells in screening assay

Introducing Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells as a promising option for researchers creating in vitro models for the study of neurodegenerative diseases. We also highlight the benefits of using human iPS-derived neural cells vs. rodent primary neural cells.

#2 – Cost-effective serum replacer for stem cell culture!

FBS is an inherently variable component of the cell culture system, so consistent performance demands extensive screening of manufactured lots. To circumvent this problem, companies began offering “stem cell qualified” serum… discover more in this post!

#3 – mRNA reprogramming system: fastest & safest!

Early reprogramming methods utilized retroviral (including lentiviral) vectors to introduce reprogramming-associated transcription factors to the target cells. While these pioneering experiments provided a fundamental proof-of-concept, these vectors required the integration of heritable viral DNA sequence into the host cell’s genome… Discover the benefits of a new mRNA reprogramming system!

#4 – Recent advances in Stem Cell culture: Encapsulated Stembeads growth factors

How can I optimise my media to cultivate Stem cells with stable and cost-effective Stem Cell Factors? Find all the answers in this post!

#5 -Isogenic Knockout iPSC Lines for Modeling of CNS Disorders

Knockout iPSC lines that mimic loss of function of genes associated with various CNS disorders as novel tools for controlled experiments to decipher functionality of each disease‐associated gene, and thus the mechanism underlying the disease.

We hope you found these posts of interest, stay up to date in 2015 by following our future articles!

Self-renewal and differentiation capacities into multiple cell-types are 2 main characteristics of Stem Cells. Contrarily to Embryonic Stem Cells, Adult Stem Cells (ASC) are already committed to a differentiated lineage. Nevertheless, ASC still retain capacities of generating various cell types within their restricted lineage. It’s thus crucial to be able to access high quality and reliable research tools when tracking cell differentiation. Here, we’ll review the most popular reagents used to characterize the ectodermal lineage.

Paez-Gonzalez et al. (Duke University) have discovered a new population of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)+ neurons present in the rodent subventricular zone (SVZ). (1) This niche is known to be important in neurogenesis activity.

These ChAT+ neural cells have their own functional and structural characteristics. By example, optogenetic studies  showed that ChAT⁺ neurons are necessary and sufficient to modulate neurogenic proliferation. The authors also found local interaction between SVZ Neural Stem Cells and acetylcholine locally released and synergic effects with FGF-R activation to raise neuroblast production.

The authors thus revealed an new gateway suggesting possibilities for modulating neuroregenerative capacities in health and disease as if “Neuron Tells Stem Cells to Grow New Neurons”. (2)

Sources:

(1) Patricia Paez-Gonzalez, Brent Asrican, Erica Rodriguez, Chay T Kuo”Identification of distinct ChAT+ neurons and activity-dependent control of postnatal SVZ neurogenesis” (2014) Nature Neuroscience. DOI:10.1038/nn.3734
Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

(2) Neuron Tells Stem Cells to Grow New Neurons –  Researchers identify first piece of new brain-repair circuit (2014) by  By Karl Leif Bates