Narrowing of arteries which reduces blood flow to internal organs.
blastocyst:
The preimplantation embryo of mammals consisting of a sphere of cells with an outer cell layer that forms the placenta and a cluster of cells on the interior called the inner cell mass that forms the embryo.
cardiomyocytes:
Heart muscle cells.
cell line:
Population of cells propagated in culture that are totally derived from, and therefore genetically identical to, a single common ancestor cell.
chondrocytes:
Cartilage cells.
chromosomes:
The carrier of genes, the hereditary information which resides in DNA.
cloning:
A term that is applied to genes, cells or organisms that are totally derived from, and therefore identical to, a single common ancestor gene, cell, or organism, respectively.
cytoplasm:
Cellular material, excluding the nucleus.
dendritic cell:
An immune cell that confers specificity to a CTL.
differentiate:
To undergo a progressive cellular change to become a more specialized cell type.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid):
Found primarily in the nucleus of a cell, it is the molecule that carries the genetic information for cells and is a major component of chromosomes.
egg:
The mature female reproductive cell, which supplies the maternal genetic material to the zygote upon fertilization.
embryo:
Early stage of an organism during development, prior to birth.
embryogenesis:
The process of embryo formation.
enucleated cell:
A cell from which the nucleus (containing all of the chromosomal DNA) has been removed.
Ex vivo:
That which takes place outside an organism. In biology, ex vivo refers to experimentation done in or on living tissue in an artificial environment outside the organism. Although ex vivo studies are usually performed in vitro, the meaning of the two phrases is not identical.
feeder layers of irradiated mouse fibroblasts:
Mouse cells which have been treated to prevent their division, but which produce important growth factors allowing hESCs to self-renew in the undifferentiated state.
fibroblasts:
Cells that give rise to connective tissue.
gene:
A functional unit of DNA. Each gene carries instructions that allow the cell to make one specific product, such as an enzyme.
gene expression:
The manifestation or detectable effect of a gene.
genetic engineering:
The process of altering the genetic material of a cell or organism so as to change its ability to function or to produce new gene products.
gene targeting:
The insertion of DNA into specific sites or genes within the genome of selected cells in order to alter gene expression for a particular therapeutic application.
genome:
The genetic material (complete set of chromosomes) of an organism.
genomic technology:
Techniques to sequence genes (determine the order of their nucleotides) and to define their protein or RNA products.
glioma:
Brain cancer.
hematologic system:
The circulating cells of blood.
hematology:
The study of blood and its diseases.
hematopoietic:
Pertaining to the formation of blood cells.
hepatic or hepatocytes:
Of the liver or liver cells.
hESCs:
Human embryonic stem cells.
hTERT:
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase, the catalytic protein component of human telomerase.
hTR:
Human telomerase RNA, the RNA component of human telomerase.
immunosuppressive therapy:
Prevention of the development of a destructive immune response to foreign material in the body. When used following a transplant, for example, the therapy is intended to suppress the response by the recipient's immune system to the transplanted tissue derived from another individual.
implantation:
Attachment of a blastocyst to the lining of the uterus.
inner cell mass:
The cluster of cells within the blastocyst from which hES cells are derived.
in vitro:
Performed in a laboratory environment such as a test tube.
in vivo:
Performed in a living organism.
in vitro fertilization (IVF):
An assisted reproduction technique in which fertilization is accomplished
in a laboratory environment.
ischemia:
Deficiency of oxygen in a tissue due to obstruction of a blood vessel.
islet cells:
Cells of the pancreas that produce and secrete insulin; degeneration of islet cells is the cause of Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus.
karyotype:
The chromosomal characteristics of a cell.
keratinocytes:
Cells that synthesize keratin and are found in the skin, hair, and nails.
knock-out:
Animals or cells that have had one or both copies of a specific gene deleted or inactivated.
macular degeneration:
A chronic disease of the eyes caused by the deterioration of the central portion of the retina, known as the macula, which is responsible for focusing central vision in the eye.
murine:
Of or relating to the rodent family.
myocardial infarction:
Heart attack.
nuclear transfer:
A laboratory procedure in which a somatic donor cell is fused with an egg cell which has had its nucleus (containing its chromosomal DNA) removed. This procedure results in the transfer of the donor cell nucleus to the egg cell.
nucleus:
The part of the cell that contains the chromosomal DNA and the genes that contain the hereditary information of an organism.
oligonucelotide:
A short polymeric chain of two to ten nucelotides.
oncology:
The branch of medicine that deals with tumors, including study of their development, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
oncolytic:
Cancer-killing.
osteoblasts:
Cells which form new bone.
osteoclasts:
Cells which resorb bone.
pluripotent:
The ability to develop into all three embryonic tissue layers which in turn form all the cells of every body organ. Used to describe stem cells that can form any and all cells and tissues in the body.
quiescence:
A cellular state in which the DNA in the cell nucleus is not synthesizing RNA, achieved through nutrient starvation, chemical means or contact inhibition.
reprogram:
Ability of the cytoplasm of an egg cell to enable the adult differentiated cell to return to the embryonic state and once again express all the genes required for the full development of the adult animal.
RNA (ribonucleic acid):
Single-stranded nucleic acid, the primary function of RNA in a cell is the step between DNA and protein synthesis. RNA is a component of telomerase and is responsible for acting as a template on which the telomere repeats are made.
severe combined immunodeficient (scid) mice:
Mice with the majority of their immune defenses not functioning.
somatic cell:
Any cell in the body that is not a sperm or egg cell.
sperm:
The mature male reproductive cell which supplies the paternal genetic material to the zygote upon fertilization.
telomerase:
An enzyme composed of a catalytic protein component and an RNA template which synthesizes
DNA at the ends of chromosomes and confers replicative immortality to cells.
telomeres:
The ends of chromosomes.
teratoma:
A non-malignant tumor in an animal consisting of different types of differentiated cells caused by the growth and differentiation of injected embryonic stem cells.
transgenic animal:
An animal into which foreign DNA has been transferred.
TRAP assay:
Telomeric Repeat Amplification Protocol, an assay which can be used to detect telomerase activity in human tissue or cells in culture.
undifferentiated:
Not having changed to become a specialized cell type.
xenotransplantation:
The transfer of an organ from one species to a recipient of another species.
