Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 2
Pluripotent Stem Cells from the Postnatal
Testis: Unlocking the Potential
of Spermatogonial Stem Cells
Marco Seandel, Ilaria Falciatori, and Shahin Rafii
Abstract
While embryonic stem (ES) cells are well known to give rise to tissues
comprising all three germ layers, only recently was it shown that cells from the
postnatal testis could produce embryonic-like stem cells in culture. The latter, arising
in vitro
from spermatogonia, can undertake most, if not all, the functions of ES
cells. This chapter explores the potential predisposing factors for postnatal germ
cells to become pluripotent, including expression of pluripotency-associated genes
and epigenetic factors. The major published studies describing the production of
ES-like cells from mice and human tissues are reviewed. Finally, we assess the
data demonstrating functionality of the differentiated derivatives of ES-like cells.
The possible uses of testis-derived stem cells for the study of pluripotency and for
regenerative applications is also discussed in comparison to other approaches using
ES cells and induced pluripotent stem (ips) cells.
Keywords
Spermatogonia
•
Adult stem cells
•
Pluripotent stem cells
•
Testis
•
Cell
transplantation
2.1
Introduction
More than one hundred years ago, it was recognized that testicular cells in adult
men could give rise to outgrowths comprised of endoderm, mesoderm, and ecto-
derm, now well known as teratomas (Young
2005
). Then, in the 1960s, Leroy
M. Seandel (
*
)
Department of Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University,
1300 York Avenue, Room LC-703, New York, NY 10065, USA
e-mail: mas9066@med.cornell.edu
S. Rafii (
*
)
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ansary Center for Stem Cell Therapeutics,
and Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University,
1300 York Avenue, Room A-863, New York, NY 10065, USA
e-mail: srafii@med.cornell.edu
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