Brainstorming session

Why are embryonic stem cell lines genetically different from the person they are taken from?

Image credit: https://deakincomsci2016.wordpress.com/2016/04/17/organ-regeneration-and-tissue-repair/

Shubhankar Kulkarni Aug 13, 2020

[1]Cascalho M, Platt JL. The Future of Organ Replacement: Needs, Potential Applications, and Obstacles to Application. Transplant Proc [Internet]. 2006 Mar;38(2):362–4. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0041134505015290

organ regeneration

Creative contributions

Combining existing technologies to overcome problems with organ regeneration

Apoorva Kulkarni Aug 13, 2020

Shubhankar Kulkarni5 months ago

Blastocyst complementation:
Although this does not answer the question of why are the embryonic stem cell lines different, this provides a solution for xenogenic organ generation for transplantation. In a recent study, researchers have successfully used blastocyst complementation to generate a functional kidney. Mouse embryonic stem cells were harvested. They were injected into pseudo-pregnant rat uteri along with Sall1 mutant rat blastocysts. The Sall1 mutants do not have functional kidneys. The complemented blastocysts matured into normal fetuses. More than two-thirds of the resulting rat progeny contained a pair of kidneys derived from the mouse stem cells. The kidney was structurally intact, retained the characteristics of the stem cell donor mouse, and about 50% of them were functional. They could be potentially be used for transplantation.
However, extending this strategy to humans might create a new set of challenges.
Reference: Goto T, Hara H, Sanbo M, Masaki H, Sato H, Yamaguchi T, et al. Generation of pluripotent stem cell-derived mouse kidneys in Sall1-targeted anephric rats. Nat Commun [Internet]. 2019 Dec 5;10(1):451. Available from: http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08394-9