Embryo Research ; Humans

Aging ; genetics ; Embryo Research ; ethics ; Embryo, Mammalian ; metabolism ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Morals ; Preimplantation Diagnosis ; RNA Editing ; genetics ; Zygote ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: Mammalian embryos undergo changes of energy environment for transfer from oviduct to uterus. An experimental design was used to examine the effects of glucose on the development in vitro of mouse embryos. METHODS: Two cell embryos were recovered from ICR female mice (3-4 weeks) at 46-50 hrs after 5 IU hCG injection (mated just after hCG injection) and cultured in 50 micro gram MEM droplets supplemented with nothing (control; n=46), 0.5 mM glucose (Group A; n=46) or 3.15 mM glucose (Group B; n=46) under mineral oil. All experimental media were supplemented with 20% human follicular fluid. Results were observed: (i) the number of zona-intact blastocysts (ZiB); (ii) the number of zona-escaped blastocysts (ZeB; hatching~hatched); (iii) the mean cell numbers; and (iv) the proportion of inncer cell mass (% ICM) in the blastocysts. RESULTS: Total blastocyst formation rates were (NS) in glucose groups (group A: 52.2; B: 47.8%) than control group (60.9%). ZiB rates the highest (p<0.05) in control (47.8%) than those in group A (21.7%) and B (28.3%). ZeB rates the highest (NS) in group A (30.4%) than those in control (13.0%) and group B (19.6%). Blastocysts, cultured in group B (50.5), had the highest (NS) mean cell numbers compared with the others (control: 39.2; group A: 45.6). The % ICM in blastocysts cultured in group A (20.6%) was the highest (NS) than those of other tested groups (control: 15.2%; group B: 13.9%). CONCLUSION: This study shows that a low dose of glucose added to culture medium increases the developmental capacity of 2 cell embryos in mice.
Animals ; Blastocyst* ; Cell Count* ; Embryo, Mammalian ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Follicular Fluid ; Glucose* ; Humans ; Mice* ; Mineral Oil ; Oviducts ; Research Design ; Uterus

The ethics of medical research is an important area of physician ethics. Physicians are called to respect the life, health, and personality of human subjects. In contrast to other ethical fields, physician ethics, including the ethics of medical research, does not rely on the good faith of physicians alone; ethics and the law are intermingled. While respecting international norms related to medical ethics, individual countries have expanded legal interventions into medical research. The United States has regulated the research of human subjects receiving federal funding through the Common Rule. In Korea, legal interventions for human subjects protection have been applied to a limited extent in clinical trials under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and the Medical Devices Act in Korea. On January 29, 2004, the Bioethics and Safety Act was enacted, requiring embryo research institutes, gene banks, and gene therapy institutions to establish Institutional Review Boards. On February 1, 2012, the Bioethics and Safety act was completely revised, which was a significant turning point in medical ethics in Korea. Structural differences between the Common Rule of the United States and the Bioethics and Safety Act of Korea are as follows. First, the Bioethics and Safety Act shall be applied regardless of the presence or absence of government funding. Thus the Bioethics and safety act has a more comprehensive and compulsory effect than the Common Rule. Second, under the Bioethics and Safety Act, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has direct supervision over institutional review boards, rather than supervision of the research organization itself. This differs from the Common Rule, which regards the research organization as the counterpart to the government. Third, the Bioethics and Safety Act regulates the study of derivatives of human bodies, in addition to research on human subjects. The Bioethics and Safety Act has the following problems. First, it mandates that researchers, instead of IRBs, record and store data concerning medical research. Second, the Act does not provide a specific definition of "minimal risk". Third, as the Act does not allow the exemption of informed consent of children under the age of 18 even if specific prerequisites are met as in the case of adults, research involving children will atrophy significantly in Korea.
Academies and Institutes ; Adult ; Atrophy ; Bioethics ; Child ; Embryo Research ; Ethics Committees, Research ; Ethics, Medical ; Financial Management ; Genetic Therapy ; Human Body ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Organization and Administration ; United States

The basic studies selected were mainly published since 1998 and related to stem cell biology and engineering and particularly the efforts for developing new sources of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells ex vivo. Hematopoietic cells and lymphocytes can be developed by induced differentiation in a appropriate way of culture, originating in the embryo- or adult-derived stem cells or tissue-committed stem cells which still exist in the tissue of adults. The most primitive multipotential embryonic stem cell from embryo or adult tissue has the plasticity to differentiate into every kind of progenies, the committed tissue-specific stem cell, by different proper ways of induction in vitro. The committed tissue-specific stem cell, however, can only be induced to differentiate along the line of its committed origin of tissue. No studies in China strongly confirmed yet the existence of "transdifferentiation" among the tissue- or organ-specific stem cells.
Adult ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Lineage ; China ; Embryo, Mammalian ; cytology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Mesoderm ; cytology ; Models, Biological ; Pluripotent Stem Cells ; cytology ; Research ; trends ; Stem Cells ; cytology

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) need feeder cells for their maintenance in an undifferentiated state. In conventional culture systems, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) serve as feeder cells to maintain hESCs. However, the use of MEFs elevates the risk of transmitting mouse pathogens and thus limits the potential of hESCs in cell replacement therapy. Consequently, the use of human feeder cells would be an important step forward in this in vitro technology. To address this issue, we used fibroblast-like cells differentiated from the Miz-hES6 hESC line (Diff (Miz-hES6)) as feeder cells to support the in vitro growth of three hESC lines. Immunofluorescence microscopy and reverse transcription-PCR assessing the expression of undifferentiated hESC markers revealed all three hESC lines were maintained in an undifferentiated state. In vitro proliferation proceeded as efficiently as when the hESCs were cultured on MEFS. Moreover, karyotype analysis revealed the chromosomal normality of the hESC lines and the Diff (Miz-hES6) feeders themselves after even 50 passages. Furthermore, the hESC lines maintained their pluripotency since they remained capable of forming embryoid bodies (EBs) in vitro. Thus, hESC-derived fibroblast-like cells successfully support in vitro hESC propagation.
Biological Markers/analysis ; Cell Culture Techniques/*methods ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Embryo/*cytology ; Fibroblasts/cytology ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; Pluripotent Stem Cells/cytology ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Stem Cells/*cytology ; Time Factors

Chapter 9 of the Bioethics Law has several problems due to strict research standards and strong penalties. Therefore, biomedical researchers in Korea have raised several objections to this Law. To make matters worse, the normative power of the Law is significantly diminished because norms and penalties are divergent. Articles 2, 24, 26, 27, 28, and 32 of the Law require amendment because the current regulations on sperm retrieval, sperm management, and sperm use are insufficient. At a minimum, legislation for artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization should be consolidated. It is also necessary for sperm researchers and donors to be notified of their rights and duties. Section 9 of the Bioethics Law should therefore be amended. In particular, its legal formulation should be modified in order to enhance the effectiveness of bioethics law. This is in accord with the spirit of the Constitution. The principle of proportionality should be maintained. The statutory form should be revised to the level of abortion. Not only are the actors in embryo research diverse, including medical personnel, medical institutions, donors, veterans, and mediators, but embryo research involves multiple behavioral aspects, including intentional acts and negligence (violation of state duty). Excessively free-form activity is prescribed. Although the value of life is important, heavy punishment violates human dignity and human values. This legislation should not reflect to be grounded in emotional reactions such as anger.
Anger ; Bioethics ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Embryo Research ; Embryonic Structures ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Insemination, Artificial ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Malpractice ; Personhood ; Punishment ; Social Control, Formal ; Sperm Retrieval ; Spermatozoa ; Tissue Donors ; Value of Life ; Veterans

Mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells are capable of undergoing chondrogenesis in vitro. To enhance this process, the human SOX9 (hSOX9) cDNA was delivered into mES cells and the clones overexpressing hSOX9 (denoted as mES-hSOX9 cells) were verified by Western blot analysis. The transcripts of collagen IIA (a juvenile form), aggrecan and Pax1 were expressed in mES-hSOX9 cells grown on feeder layers, suggesting the immediate effect of exogenous SOX9 on chondrogenesis. However, SOX9 overexpression did not affect the cell cycle distribution in undifferentiated mES cells. Upon differentiation, collagen IIB (an adult form) was detected in day 3 immature embryoid bodies. In addition, the overexpression of exogenous SOX9 significantly induced transcriptional activity driven by SOX9 binding site. Taken together, we for the first time demonstrated that constitutive overexpression of exogenous SOX9 in undifferentiated mES cells might have dual potentials to induce both chondrogenic commitment and growth capacity in the undifferentiated status.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation/genetics ; Cell Line ; *Chondrogenesis ; Collagen Type II/genetics ; Embryo/*cytology ; Enhancer Elements (Genetics)/genetics ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins/genetics ; Genetic Markers/genetics ; High Mobility Group Proteins/genetics/*metabolism ; Humans ; Lectins, C-Type/genetics ; Mice ; Paired Box Transcription Factors/genetics ; Proteoglycans/genetics ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Stem Cells/*metabolism/physiology ; Trans-Activation (Genetics) ; Transcription Factors/genetics/*metabolism

The P19 embryonal carcinoma cell line is a useful model cells for studies on cardiac differentiation. However, its low efficacy of differentiation hampers its usefulness. We investigated the effect of 5-azacytidine (5-aza) on P19 cells to differentiate into a high-efficacy cardiomyocytes. Embryoid-body-like structures were formed after 6 days with 1 micrometer of 5-aza in a P19 cell monolayer culture, beating cell clusters first observed on day 12, and, the production of beating cell clusters increased by 80.1% (29 of 36-wells) after 18 days. In comparison, the spontaneous beating cells was 33.3% (12 of 36-wells) for the untreated control cells. In response to 1 micrometer of 5-aza, P19 cells expressed bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), BMP-4, Bmpr1a and Smad1 at day 6 or 9, and also cardiac markers such as GATA-4, Nkx2.5, cardiac troponin I, and desmin were up-regulated in a time-dependent manner after induction of BMP signaling molecules. Immunocytochemistry revealed the expression of smooth muscle a-actin, sarcomeric a-actinin, cardiac myosin heavy chain, cardiac troponin T and desmin, respectively. The proportion of sarcomeric a-actinin positive cells accounted for 6.48% on day 15 after 5-aza exposure as measured by flow cytometry. This study has demonstrated that 5-aza induces differentiation of P19 cells into cardiomyocytes in a confluent monolayer culture in the absence of prior embryoid formation and dimethyl sulfoxide exposure, depending in part on alteration of BMP signaling molecules. These results suggest that 5-aza treatment could be used as a new method for cardiac differentiation in P19 cells.
Animals ; Azacitidine/*pharmacology ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects/genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects ; DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Embryo/cytology ; Gene Expression ; Homeodomain Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Mice ; Muscle Proteins/analysis/genetics/metabolism ; Myocytes, Cardiac/*cytology/immunology/physiology ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Stem Cells/*drug effects/metabolism ; Transcription Factors/genetics/metabolism

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are capable of differentiating into pluralistic cell types, however, spontaneous differentiation generally gives rise to a limited number of specific differentiated cell types and a large degree of cell heterogeneity. In an effort to increase the efficiency of specified hES cell differentiation, we performed a series of transient transfection of hES cells with EGFP expression vectors driven by different promoter systems, including human cellular polypeptide chain elongation factor 1 alpha (hEF1alpha), human cytomegalo-virus, and chicken beta-actin. All these promoters were found to lead reporter gene expression in undifferentiated hES cells, but very few drug-selectable transfectants were obtained and failed to maintain stable expression of the transgene with either chemical or electroporation methods. In an attempt to increase transfection efficiency and obtain stable transgene expression, differentiated hES cells expressing both mesodermal and ectodermal markers were derived using a defined medium. Differentiated hES cells were electroporated with a hEF1alpha promoter-driven EGFP or human noggin expression vector. Using RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry and fluorescence microscopy, the differentiated hES cells transfected with foreign genes were confirmed to retain stable gene and protein expression during prolonged culture. These results may provide a new tool for introducing exogenous genes readily into hES cells, thereby facilitating more directed differentiation into specific and homogenous cell populations.
Actins/genetics ; Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/genetics ; *Cell Differentiation ; Chickens ; Cytomegalovirus/genetics ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Embryo/*cytology ; *Gene Therapy ; Green Fluorescent Proteins/genetics/*metabolism ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Peptide Elongation Factor 1/genetics ; Pluripotent Stem Cells/*cytology ; Promoter Regions (Genetics)/*genetics ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transcription, Genetic/genetics