Applications of microarrays and stem cells for regenerative medicine

Stem cells are viewed as a potential resource for cell-based therapy and regenerative medicine. Understanding the genes that govern the special properties of stem cells has implications for both stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. This information will ensure the quality of the cells, the specificity of differentiation, and the assessment of mixed phenotypes. Microarray analysis measures the global expression of genes and can provide insight into the genetic programs expressed in stem cells. A novel in silico dissection method based on comparisons of microarray data between stem cells and multiple cell types was developed to better understand the properties of human embryonic stem cells, tissue progenitor cells, and amniotic fluid-derived stem cells. By comparing microarray data of tissue-specific reference files to microarray data of stem cells, we were able to identify similarities in particular phenotypes while revealing other novel signatures. This method can be used to better understand stem cell differentiation. By comparing stem cells and their osteogenic derivatives to multiple reference cell types, we found that stem cells express multiple lineage-specific programs. In silico dissection can also be used to evaluate the therapeutic potential of stem cells derived from a diseased organs and individuals for tissue engineering. We demonstrate the use of this method to study stem cells in a model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. In conclusion, we propose that stem cell differentiation requires both up-regulation of a lineage-specific program and the elimination of other lineages.