What Are Stem Cells?

Stem Cells and Gene Editing

In this lecture, Dr James Smith (University of East Anglia) introduces us to the use of stem cells in modern science. To do so, we begin by: (i) introducing the main features of a stem cells and their hierarchy; before (ii) looking at how Yamanaka factors can be manipulated to reprogram specialised cells back into stem cells; and then (iii) moving into the laboratory to demonstrate some of the ways in which this is done; following onto (iv) understanding the gene, and how it can be mutated and edited; and then (v) understanding important experimental techniques geneticists use such as PCR, gel electrophoresis and recombinant DNA; and finally (vi) discuss some of the ramifications of using stem cells and editing genes.

What Are Stem Cells?

In the first mini-lecture, we define the term stem cell by discussing the three key characteristics of one, before introducing some of the different types we can harvest from zygotes and blastocysts. To continue, we introduce the hierarchy of totipotent, pluripotent, and multipotent stem cells, as well as talk about the different varieties we find in the body: including neural, haematopoietic, mesenchymal and adipose stem cells. To finish off this lecture, we describe cell differentiation by contextualising it with stem cells down a hierarchy.