Stem Cells 101
An Introduction to the Science
These sections are designed as a short overview of essential terms and technologies in stem cell biology. There is a link at the bottom of each page to go to the next section. Additional resources are available in the last section. You can also click here to download a primer on stem cells.
Key Stem Cell Discoveries
While the initial characterization of stem cells happened more than a century ago, stem cell research has grown rapidly in the past few years with a series of important discoveries that lead us to today’s possibility of creating new therapeutics based on modulating cell fate:
- 1908
- Stem cells were first identified
- 1968
- The first successful bone marrow transplant was used to treat an immune deficiency
- 1978
- Stem cells were discovered in human cord blood
- 1988
- The first successful cord blood transplant was used to treat a fatal form of anemia
- 1997
- Cancer stem cells identified in leukemia
- 1998
- A technique is established to isolate and grow human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in vitro
- August 10, 2006
- Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (also known as MEFs and are skin-like cells) are “induced” to become stem-cell-like by forced expression using viruses of four genes, Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and cMyc. The process is called genetic reprogramming, and the resultant cells are called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.
- Takahashi K, Yamanaka S. Cell.126:663-76.
- Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (also known as MEFs and are skin-like cells) are “induced” to become stem-cell-like by forced expression using viruses of four genes, Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and cMyc. The process is called genetic reprogramming, and the resultant cells are called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.
- June 06, 2007
- MEFs are reprogrammed to achieve standards of pluripotency.
- Wernig M, Meissner A, Foreman R, Brambrink T, Ku M, Hochedlinger K, Bernstein BE, Jaenisch R. Nature. 448:318-24.
- Keisuke O, Tomoko I, Yamanaka S. Nature. 448:313-7.
- MEFs are reprogrammed to achieve standards of pluripotency.
- November 20, 2007
- Human foreskin is genetically reprogrammed using four different genes: Oct 4, Sox2, Nanog, Lin28.
- Yu J, Vodyanik MA, Smuga-Otto K, Antosiewicz-Bourget J, Frane JL, Tian S, Nie J, Jonsdottir GA, Ruotti V, Stewart R, Slukvin II, Thomson JA. Science. 318:1917-1920.
- Human foreskin is genetically reprogrammed using four different genes: Oct 4, Sox2, Nanog, Lin28.
- November 30, 2007
- Human foreskin is genetically reprogrammed using the original four genes: Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, cMyc
- Takahashi K, Tanabe K, Ohnuki M, Narita M, Ichisaka T, Tomoda K,Yamanaka S. Cell. 131:861-72.
- Human foreskin is genetically reprogrammed using the original four genes: Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, cMyc
- April 18, 2008
- iPS cells are created from terminally differentiated cells (B lymphocytes) showing that any cell can be reprogrammed
- Hanna J, Markoulaki S, Schorderet P, Carey BW, Beard C, Wernig M, Creyghton MP, Steine EJ, Cassady JP, Foreman R, Lengner CJ, Dausman JA, Jaenisch R. Cell. 133:250-64.
- iPS cells are created from terminally differentiated cells (B lymphocytes) showing that any cell can be reprogrammed
- June 05, 2008
- Small molecules (chemical reprogramming) replace two of the four reprogramming factors
- Shi Y, Do JT, Desponts C, Hahm HS, Schöler HR, Ding S. Cell Stem Cell. 2:525-8.
- Small molecules (chemical reprogramming) replace two of the four reprogramming factors
- December 18, 2008
- Human and rat iPS cells are made with genetic and chemical reprogramming.
- Li W, Wei W, Zhu S, Zhu J, Shi Y, Lin T, Hao E, Hayek A, Deng H, Ding S. Cell Stem Cell. 4:16-9.
- Human and rat iPS cells are made with genetic and chemical reprogramming.
- March 06, 2009
- The first viral-free iPS cells were created from patients (Parkinson's disease)
- Soldner F, Hockemeyer D, Beard C, Gao Q, Bell GW, Cook EG, Hargus G, Blak A, Cooper O, Mitalipova M, Isacson O, Jaenisch R. Cell. 136:964-77.
- The first viral-free iPS cells were created from patients (Parkinson's disease)
- April 23, 2009
- The first non-genetic technique using only proteins and small molecules was achieved to create iPS cells from MEFs
- Zhou H, Wu S, Joo JY, Zhu S, Han DW, Lin T, Trauger S, Bien G, Yao S, Zhu Y, Siuzdak G, Schöler HR, Duan L, Ding S. Cell Stem Cell. 4:381-4.
- The first non-genetic technique using only proteins and small molecules was achieved to create iPS cells from MEFs
- May 27, 2009
- Proteins and small molecules are used to create human iPS cells
- Kim D, Kim CH, Moon JI, Chung YG, Chang MY, Han BS, Ko S, Yang E, Cha KY, Lanza R, Kim KS. Cell Stem Cell. (Epub)
- Proteins and small molecules are used to create human iPS cells
Go to next section: Embryonic Stem Cells ›