Human embryonic stem (hES) cells have great therapeutic potential for the treatment of degenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease, cardiac failure and type I diabetes. This potential is based on the ability of hES cells in vitro to self-renew and also differentiate to cells of all three germ layers; ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. Type I diabetes is due to an autoimmune disease destroying the insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas (β-cells) that regulate plasma glucose concentration. The pancreas develops from the endoderm lineage. 2. To find a cure for type I diabetes based on the use of hES, it is essential to understand the differentiation process of ES cells into the endodermal, β-cell lineage. The aim of this study was to investigate the generation of insulin-secreting cells using hES cells in vitro and to compare sue with those in the developing pancreas of the foetus.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:489056 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Murad, Nadia Yousif |
| Publisher | University of Sheffield |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/6102/ |
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