▪ Abstract TGFß signals belonging to the Nodal family set up the embryonic axes, induce
mesoderm and endoderm, pattern the nervous system, and determine left-right asymmetry in …

Activins are members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily that control
many physiological processes such as cell proliferation and differentiation, immune …

The POU-domain transcription factor Oct-4 is normally expressed in pluripotent cells of the
mammalian embryo. In addition, germ-cell tumors and a few somatic tumors show …

Wnt signaling pathways play essential roles in patterning and proliferation of embryonic and
adult tissues. In many organisms, this signaling pathway directs axis formation. Although the …

Erk5 is a mitogen-activated protein kinase, the biological role of which is largely undefined.
Therefore, we deleted the erk5 gene in mice to assess its function in vivo. Inactivation of the …

Several laboratories have begun evaluating human ES (hES) cell lines; however, direct
comparisons between different hES cell lines have not been performed. We have …

Embryonic stem (ES) cells may represent an alternative source of functionally intact
cardiomyocytes for the causal treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, this requires …

Activins, cytokine members of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, have various
effects on many physiological processes, including cell proliferation, cell death, metabolism …

The molecular mechanisms controlling inductive events leading to the specification and
terminal differentiation of cardiomyocytes are still largely unknown. We have investigated the …

Human pluripotent embryonic stem cells (hESC) have great promise for research into
human developmental biology and the development of cell therapies for the treatment of …