Genetic Manipulation of Embryonic Stem Cells

Publisher Summary Two remarkable discoveries in the early 1980s, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and mammalian homologous recombination, enabled one of the greatest advances in biomedical research in the last 50 years. In 2001, these advances were rewarded by the presentation of the Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research to Mario Capecchi, Martin Evans, and Oliver Smithies for “the development of a powerful technology for manipulating the mouse genome with exquisite precision, which allows the creation of animal models of human disease.” It would be very useful to apply the sophisticated methods developed for mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to genetically manipulate hESCs. However, it has not been easy to translate the methods from mouse to human, and many challenges lie ahead. In this chapter, the genetic tools that have been successfully used to modify hESCs has been introduced and theefforts to genetically modify hESCs are being reviewed. The goal of this chapter is to give a general overview to stimulate thought and discussion on how to best adapt relevant hESC technology to the study and use of hESCs.