Stem Cells

Stem cells are self-renewing cells with the potential to differentiate into other types of cells. Totipotent stem cells (zygotes) have the potential to develop into any embryonic or extraembryonic cell. Pluripotent stem cells have the potential to develop into any embryonic cell, including embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Multipotent stem cells (such as adult stem cells) give rise to cells within a restricted cell lineage. For example, hematopoietic stem cells can differentiate into any blood cell, such as leukocytes and erythrocytes. Mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into connective tissues such as bone, cartilage, and adipose tissue. Specific cell culture conditions, including the presence of certain growth factors, induce stem cells to differentiate. Induction occurs via activation of known transcription factors essential for stem cell renewal and differentiation. Dysregulation of stem cell processes can lead to developmental disorders as well as cancer. Stem cells are a potential source of experimentally-derived terminally differentiated cells; however, the exact mechanism of this process is not entirely understood. Therefore, research is necessary to understand the process of how stem cells differentiate into a wide variety of terminally differentiated cells.

QIAGEN provides a broad range of assay technologies for stem cell research that enables analysis of gene expression and regulation, epigenetic modification, genotyping, and signal transduction pathway activation. Solutions optimized for stem cell studies include PCR array, miRNA, siRNA, mutation analysis, pathway reporter, chromatin IP, DNA methylation, and protein expression products.