A fibroblast is a type of biological cell that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen, produces the structural framework (stroma) for animal tissues, and plays a critical role in wound healing. Fibroblasts are the most common cells of connective tissue in animals.
Gastrulation is the stage in the early embryonic development of most animals, during which the blastula, or in mammals the blastocyst is reorganized into a multilayered structure known as the gastrula. Before gastrulation, the embryo is a continuous epithelial sheet of cells; by the end of gastrulation, the embryo has begun differentiation to establish distinct cell lineages, set up the basic axes of the body, and internalized one or more cell types including the prospective gut.
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre-implantation embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells. Isolating the inner cell mass (embryoblast) using immunosurgery results in destruction of the blastocyst, a process which raises ethical issues, including whether or not embryos at the pre-implantation stage have the same moral considerations as embryos in the post-implantation stage of development.
Embryoid bodies (EBs) are three-dimensional aggregates of pluripotent stem cells.
A stem cell line is a group of stem cells that is cultured in vitro and can be propagated indefinitely. Stem cell lines are derived from either animal or human tissues and come from one of three sources: embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, or induced stem cells. They are commonly used in research and regenerative medicine.
Vero cells are a lineage of cells used in cell cultures. The 'Vero' lineage was isolated from kidney epithelial cells extracted from an African green monkey. The lineage was developed on 27 March 1962, by Yasumura and Kawakita at the Chiba University in Chiba, Japan. The original cell line was named Vero after an abbreviation of verdareno, which means 'green kidney' in Esperanto, while vero itself means 'truth' in Esperanto.
Fibroblast growth factors (FGF) are a family of cell signalling proteins produced by macrophages; they are involved in a wide variety of processes, most notably as crucial elements for normal development in animal cells. Any irregularities in their function lead to a range of developmental defects. These growth factors typically act as systemic or locally circulating molecules of extracellular origin that activate cell surface receptors. A defining property of FGFs is that they bind to heparin and to heparan sulfate. Thus, some are sequestered in the extracellular matrix of tissues that contains heparan sulfate proteoglycans and are released locally upon injury or tissue remodeling.
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) also known as CD332 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the FGFR2 gene residing on chromosome 10. FGFR2 is a receptor for fibroblast growth factor.
Inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit alpha (IKK-α) also known as IKK1 or conserved helix-loop-helix ubiquitous kinase (CHUK) is a protein kinase that in humans is encoded by the CHUK gene. IKK-α is part of the IκB kinase complex that plays an important role in regulating the NF-κB transcription factor. However, IKK-α has many additional cellular targets, and is thought to function independently of the NF-κB pathway to regulate epidermal differentiation.
3T3-L1 is a sub clonal cell line derived from the original 3T3 Swiss albino cell line of 1962. The 3T3 original cell line was isolated from a mouse embryo and propagated for 3this specific line of 3T3 cells is used to study adipose tissuerelated diseases and dysfunctions. The 3T3-L1 Swiss sub clone line has been widely utilized, since its development, due to its affinity for lipid droplet deposition in vitro. 3T3-L1 cells have a fibroblast-like morphology, but, under appropriate conditions, the cells differentiate into an adipocyte-like phenotype, providing an exemplar model for white adipocytes. 3T3-L1 cells can be utilized to study a number of cellular and molecular mechanisms related to insulin-resistance, obesity, and diabetes in vitro. Aside from its usages, this cell line is widely developed and can be purchased for continuous propagation for numerous research studies. 3T3-L1 cells of the adipocyte morphology increase the synthesis and accumulation of triglycerides and acquire the signet ring appearance of adipose cells. These cells are also sensitive to lipogenic and lipolytic hormones, as well as drugs, including epinephrine, isoproterenol, and insulin.
Keratinocyte growth factor is a protein that in humans is encoded by the FGF7 gene.
Adipogenesis is the formation of adipocytes from stem cells. It involves 2 phases, determination, and terminal differentiation. Determination is mesenchymal stem cells committing to the adipocyte precursor cells, also known as preadipocytes which lose the potential to differentiate to other types of cells such as chondrocytes, myocytes, and osteoblasts. Terminal differentiation is that preadipocytes differentiate into mature adipocytes. Adipocytes can arise either from preadipocytes resident in adipose tissue, or from bone-marrow derived progenitor cells that migrate to adipose tissue.
C2C12 is an immortalized mouse myoblast cell line. The C2C12 cell line is a subclone of myoblasts that were originally obtained by Yaffe and Saxel at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel in 1977. Developed for in vitro studies of myoblasts isolated from the complex interactions of in vivo conditions, C2C12 cells are useful in biomedical research. These cells are capable of rapid proliferation under high serum conditions and differentiation into myotubes under low serum conditions. Mononucleated myoblasts can later fuse to form multinucleated myotubes under low serum conditions or starvation, leading to the precursors of contractile skeletal muscle cells in the process of myogenesis. C2C12 cells are used to study the differentiation of myoblasts, osteoblasts, and myogenesis, to express various target proteins, and to explore mechanistic biochemical pathways.
An immortalised cell line is a population of cells from a multicellular organism which would normally not proliferate indefinitely but, due to mutation, have evaded normal cellular senescence and instead can keep undergoing division. The cells can therefore be grown for prolonged periods in vitro. The mutations required for immortality can occur naturally or be intentionally induced for experimental purposes. Immortal cell lines are a very important tool for research into the biochemistry and cell biology of multicellular organisms. Immortalised cell lines have also found uses in biotechnology.
Schneider 2 cells, usually abbreviated as S2 cells, are one of the most commonly used Drosophila melanogaster cell lines. S2 cells were derived from a primary culture of late stage Drosophila melanogaster embryos by Dr. Imogene Schneider, likely from a macrophage-like lineage.
Warren Jackson Pledger is a molecular cell biologist who is the Associate Director for Basic Sciences, Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute and Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, USF Health in Tampa, Florida. He had been a Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine and a member of the Cell Response and Regulation Program, Huntsman Cancer Institute. He was the Associate Center Director for Basic Science at the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. He has held academic appointments and tenure at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the University of South Florida College of Medicine.
Wilton Robinson Earle was an American cell biologist known for his research in cell culture techniques and carcinogenesis. Born in Greenville, South Carolina, he earned a bachelor's degree at Furman University then earned an M.A. at the University of North Carolina and PhD at Vanderbilt University in 1928. He joined the Hygienic Laboratory of the United States Public Health Service in 1928, which merged with the National Cancer Institute in 1937, where Earle worked the remainder of his life. He died at his home in Burtonsville, Maryland, aged 61.
Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts (MEFs) are a type of fibroblast prepared from mouse embryo. MEFs show a spindle shape when cultured in vitro, a typical feature of fibroblasts. The MEF is a limited cell line. After several transmission, MEFs will senesce and finally die off. Nevertheless, researchers can use several strategies, like virus infection or repeated transmission to immortalize MEF cells, which can let MEFs grown indefinitely in spite of some changes in characters.
Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells are a model mammalian cell line used in biomedical research. MDCK cells are used for a wide variety of cell biology studies including cell polarity, cell-cell adhesions, collective cell motility, toxicity studies, as well as responses to growth factors. It is one of few cell culture models that is suited for 3D cell culture and multicellular rearrangements known as branching morphogenesis.
F-box protein 15 also known as Fbx15 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the FBXO15 gene.
