• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.209-215
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• 2004

Objective: Embryonic stem (ES) cells could be differentiated into the specific cell types by alternation of culture condition and modification of gene expression. This study was performed to evaluate the differentiation protocol for mouse and human ES cells to insulin secreting cells. Methods: Undifferentiated mouse (JH-I) and human (Miz-hESI) ES cells were cultured on STO feeder layer, and embryoid bodies (EBs) were formed by suspension culture. For the differentiation, EBs were cultured by sequential system with three stage protocol. The differentiating ES cells were collected and marker gene expressions were analyzed by seIni-quantitative RT-PCR in each stage. Amount of secreted insulin levels in culture media of human ES cells were measured by human insulin specific RIA kit. Results: During the differentiation process of human ES cells, GATA-4, a-fetoprotein, glucose transporter-2 and Ngn-3 expression were increased whereas OctA was decreased progressively. Insulin and albuInin mRNAs were expressed from stage IT in mouse ES cells and from stage III in human ES cells. We detected 3.0~7.9 IlU/rnl secretion of insulin from differentiated human ES cells by in vitro culture for 36 days. Conclusion: The sequential culture system could induce the differentiation of mouse and human ES cells into insulin secreting cells. This is the fIrst report of differentiation of human ES cells into insulin secreting cells by in vitro culture with serum and insulin free medium.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.12
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• pp.668-676
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• 2015

Pluripotent stem cells only exist in a narrow window during early embryonic development, whereas multipotent stem cells are abundant throughout embryonic development and are retainedin various adult tissues and organs. While pluripotent stem cell lines have been established from several species, including mouse, rat, and human, it is still challenging to establish stable multipotent stem cell lines from embryonic or adult tissues. Based on current knowledge, we anticipate that by manipulating extrinsic and intrinsic signaling pathways, most if not all types of stem cells can be maintained in a long-term culture. In this article, we summarize current culture conditions established for the long-term maintenance of authentic pluripotent and multipotent stem cells and the signaling pathways involved. We also discuss the general principles of stem cell maintenance and propose several strategies on the establishment of novel stem cell lines through manipulation of signaling pathways.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 1987

To study the replication process of the single-stranded DNA parvovirus KBSH-isolated from normal human cell cultures-in actively dividing embryonic swine kidney cells, amount of the synthesized viral hemagglutination (HA) antigen and the overall rate of viral double-stranded replicative form(RF) DNA synthesis were wxamined. The initiation of viral RF KNA synthesis and the decrease of host DNA synthesis rate in viral infected cells occurred almost same time at 15-16 hour post infection(PI). And the release of viral HA antigen to media followed at 24 hour PI, concurrently the overall rate of viral RF DNA synthesis reaching its maximum. Evidence is presented which indicates that successful performance of viral RF DNA replication requires proteins synthesized in viral infected cells at 10-14 hour PI.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.98-98
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• 2003

Recently, human embryonic stem (hES) cells have become very important resources for ES cell basic research, cell replacement therapy, and other medical applications; thus, efficient cryopreservation methods for these cells are needed. This study examined whether a newly developed minimum volume cooling (MVC) vitrification method, which was tested through cryopreservation of sensitive bovine oocytes, can be used for freezing hES cells. Feeder-free cultured hES cell (MB03) colonies were mechanically dissected into several small clumps following enzymatic treatment. We compared the freezing efficiency of a slow-cooling method using a cryo-module (0.4-0.6C/min, 20-30 clumps/vial) and MVC vitrification using a modified 0.5-ml French mini-straw designated as a MVC straw (>$20,000{\circ}C$/min, 10 clumps/straw) After thawing, in vitro survival of hES cell clumps was higher for MVC-vitrified cells (80.8%, 97/120) than for slow-cooled cells (38.2%, 39/102). Further, the proliferation rate of surviving MVC-vitrified cells was similar to that of control hES cells from 2 weeks after thawing. In addition, vitrified-thawed hES cells demonstrated a normal karyotype, were positively immunostained for surface marker antibodies (AP, SSEA-4 and TRA-1-60) and the Oct-4 antibody, and could differentiate into all three embryonic germ layer cells in vitro. This result demonstrates that hES cell clumps can be successfully cryopreserved by a newly developed MVC vitrification method without loss of human cell characteristics.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.272-278
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• 1994

Attenuated varicella-zoster virus(VZV) was cultured in human embryonic lung cells. The effects of serum type and its concentration on the production of VZV were studied. Regardless of cell culture conditions, VZV yield was increased with multiplicity of infection, and the total cell concentration was decreased after virus infection. The newborn calf serum, calf serum, or horse serum was not as good as the fetal bovine serum or calf serum supplemented with iron for the propagation of VZV in the human embryonic lung cells. The yields of total VZV(cell-associated virus and cell-free virus) in the medium with calf serum containing iron were comparable to those in the medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum. Furthermore, some components of serum appear to be important for the maintenance of VZV infectivity.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.107-114
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• 2013

Homeobox genes play essential roles in embryonic development and reproduction. Recently, a large cluster of homeobox genes, reproductive homeobox genes on the X chromosome (Rhox) genes, was discovered as three gene clusters, ${\alpha}$, ${\beta}$, and ${\gamma}$ in mice. It was found that Rhox genes were selectively expressed in reproduction-associated tissues, such as those of the testes, epididymis, ovaries, and placenta. Hence, it was proposed that Rhox genes are important for regulating various reproductive features, especially gametogenesis in male as well as in female mammals. It was first determined that 12 Rhox genes are clustered into ${\alpha}$ (Rhox1-4), ${\beta}$ (Rhox5-9), and ${\gamma}$ (Rhox10-12) subclusters, and recently Rhox13 has also been found. At present, 33 Rhox genes have been identified in the mouse genome, 11 in the rat, and three in the human. Rhox genes are also responsible for embryonic development, with considerable amounts of Rhox expression in trophoblasts, placenta tissue, embryonic stem cells, and primordial germ cells. In this article we summarized the current understanding of Rhox family genes involved in reproduction and embryonic development and elucidated a previously unreported cell-specific expression in ovarian cells.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.275-275
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• 2004

To evaluate the potential of the stem cell therapy as a method for prenatal management of spinal open neural tube defect (ONTD), the influence of embryonic stem cells injected into the amniotic cavity on the re-closure capacity of spinal ONTD was investgated. Spinal neural tube was incised open for a length of 6 somites using chick embryos of Hamburger and Hamilton stage 18 or 19. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.164.2-164.2
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• 2003

Human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines derived from the inner cell mass of human blastocysts have potential to differentiate into any cell types. We have established in vitro neural differentiation of human ES cells. After the formation of embroid bodies (EBs), the differentiating EBs formed neural tube-like rosettes in the presence of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The rosettes were selectively isolated by the treatment of dispase and cultured in a medium for human neural precursors in the presence of bFGF. (omitted)

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.279-285
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• 2006

Vitrification has been suggested to be an effective method for the cryopreservation of human ES cells. However, the efficiency of vitrification with different vehicles remains a matter of ongoing controversy. The objective of this study was to assess the efficiency of cryopreservation in human ES cells by vitrification using different vehicles. A human ES cell line and a variety of vehicles, including micro-droplet (MD), open-pulled straw (OPS) and electron microscopic grid (EM-grid), were employed in an attempt to assess vitrification efficiency. In order to evaluate the survivability and the undifferentiated state of the post-vitrified human ES cells, we conducted alkaline phosphatase staining and characterization via both RT-PCR and immunofluorescence assays. The survival rates of the post-vitrified human ES cells using MD, OPS and EM-grid were determined to be 61.5%, 66.6% and 53.8%, respectively. There also exist significant differences between slow-freezing and vitrification (p<0.01). However, no significant differences were detected between the vehicle types. Finally, the pluripotency of human ES cells after thawing was verified by teratoma formation. Cryopreservation using vitrification is more effective than slow-freezing, and the efficiency of vehicles proved effective with regard to the preservation of human ES cells.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.364-373
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• 2011

Human embryonic stem cells have been highlighted as a valuable cellular source in the regenerative medicine field, due to their pluripotency. However, there is the challenge of the establishment of specific functional cell type forms of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESC). To establish and purify functional cell types from hESCs, we differentiated undifferentiated hESCs into vascular lineage cells and sorted the specific cell population from the whole cell population, depending on their cell volume, and compared them with the non-sorted cell population. We observed that about 10% of the PECAM positive population existed in the VEGF induced differentiating human embryoid body (hEB), and differentiated hEBs were made into single cells for cell transplantation. After making single cells, we performed cell sorting using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACs), according to their cell volume on the basis of FSC region gating, and compared their therapeutic capacity with the non-sorted cell population through cell transplantation into hindlimb ischemic disease model mice. 4 Weeks after cell transplantation, the recovery rate of blood perfusion reached 54% and 17% in the FSC regions of sorted cells- and non-sorted cells, respectively. This result suggests that derivation of a functional cell population from hESCs can be performed through cell sorting on the basis of cell volume after preliminary differentiation induction. This approach may then greatly contribute to overcoming the limitations of marker sorting.