A protocol to assess cell cycle and apoptosis in human and mouse pluripotent cells

• Main Authors: Edel Michael J, Menchon Cristina, Vaquero Jose, Izpisua Belmonte Juan Carlos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2011-04-01
• Series: Cell Communication and Signaling
• Online Access: http://www.biosignaling.com/content/9/1/8

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Embryonic stem cells (ESC) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) present a great opportunity to treat and model human disease as a cell replacement therapy. There is a growing pressure to understand better the signal transduction pathways regulating pluripotency and self-renewal of these special cells in order to deliver a safe and reliable cell based therapy in the near future. Many signal transduction pathways converge on two major cell functions associated with self-renewal and pluripotency: control of the cell cycle and apoptosis, although a standard method is lacking across the field. Here we present a detailed protocol to assess the cell cycle and apoptosis of ESC and iPSCs as a single reference point offering an easy to use standard approach across the field.</p>