cell fate

The road to death or differentiation follows a similar course in embryonic stem cells according to new research in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Caspases, known as 'killer enzymes,' that are activated during programmed cell death, are also active in the initial phases of cell differentiation, according to researchers.

Scientists have shown that microRNAs play an important role in stem cell differentiation. Understanding these key regulatory factors is critical for potential therapeutic use of stem cells.

The nerve cells in the brain of Drosophila are generated by neural stem cell-like progenitor cells called neuroblasts.

In the currently accepted model of neurogenesis, these neuroblast divide asymmetrically both to self renew and to produce a smaller progenitor cell.

This smaller cell then divides only once into two daughter cells, which receive cell fate determinants, causing them to exit the cell cycle and differentiate into postmitotic neural cells.