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Selected Small Molecule Inhibitors and Stem Cell Research
 | | |  Stem cells have the unique ability to self-renew and generate additional stem cells and to differentiate into various progenitor cells in response to appropriate signals. They are classified as either embryonic stem cells (ES) or adult stem cells (tissue-specific stem cells). ES are derived from the inner cell mass of preimplantation embryos and are considered to be the most pluriopotent stem cell populations. They can undergo infinite, undifferentiated proliferation in vitro and can also differentiate into a wide variety of somatic and extra-embryonic tissues. Adult stem cells, unspecialized cells found in differentiated tissues, can self-renew and differentiate into mature cell types of the specific tissue. One of the challenges in working with ES cells is poor survival rate of these cells following differentiation. One possible way to slow apoptosis of stem cells is through the use inhibitors. Recently, investigators have shown that a selective inhibitor Y-27632, (Cat. No. 688000) of the p160-Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK) can reduce dissociation-induced apoptosis in ES cells. The exact mechanism of this inhibition remains to be elucidated, but demonstrates how inhibitors serve as useful tools in stem cell research. | | | | Selective Inhibitors used in Stem Cell Research | | Product | Description | Cat. No. | | Y-27632 | Cell permeable, selective inhibitor of Rho-associated protein kinases (Ki = 140 nM for p160ROCK).
| | | GSK-3 Inhibitor IX (BIO) | Cell permeable, reversible, ATP-competitive inhibitor of GSK-3a/b (IC50 = 5 nM).
| | | TGF-b RI Kinase Inhibitor | Cell permeable, ATP-competitive inhibitor of TGF-b Receptor I kinase (IC50 = 51 nM).
| | | Trichostatin A, Streptomyces | A potent and reversible, cell-permeable inhibitor of histone deacetylase
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| | | | | | Related Links | | Stem Cell Resource | | Inhibitor Resource | | | | | | | | | | |
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