Embryonic stem (ES) cells are derived from the inner cell mass of pre-implantation embryos and can be expanded to large numbers whilst maintaining their differentiation potentials of embryonic founder cells, being able to differentiate into all the cell types of an organism. Therefore, ES cells have important implications for providing insight into basic developmental biology. The study of ES cell biology has become more intriguing by the establishment of human ES cells (hESCs) because it provides unlimited resources not only for studying basic human developmental biology but also for their potential clinical applications. Our group is interested in identifying and characterizing signalling pathways controlling ES cell differentiation to specific lineage fates.

The overall aim of our research is to understand the molecular mechanism controlling efficient differentiation of ES cells, particularly hESCs, to neural lineage and hepatic cell fate.

In our laboratory, we have previously developed a procedure in which hESCs can be differentiated efficiently to neural progenitors (Figure 1). The hESC-derived neural progenitors can be cultured extensively and still express certain neural progenitor markers. However, the cells do not have the same characteristics throughout. It is possible that these changes reflect the process during in vivo neural development. Therefore, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms underlie these changes. The aim of this project is to characterise hESC-derived neural progenitors at various differentiation stages for their molecular signature as well as their developmental potentials.

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