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Epigenetics of Embryonic Stem Cells

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Stem Cell Transplantation

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 741))

Abstract

Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the control of cell differentiation during embryonic development is currently one of the main objectives of developmental biology. This knowledge will provide a basis for the development of new strategies in the field of regenerative medicine, one of the most promising weapons to fight many human diseases. Cell differentiation during embryonic development is controlled primarily by epigenetic factors, that is, mechanisms involved in the regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression. Here we describe the best known epigenetic modifications, and pathways, mainly focused on DNA methylation and histone modifications, and try to depict the state of art in our knowledge about epigenetic regulation of embryonic stem cell maintenance and differentiation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology and Oncology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología/CSIC, Madrid, Spain

    Vincenzo Calvanese & Mario F. Fraga

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  1. Vincenzo Calvanese
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  2. Mario F. Fraga
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Correspondence to Mario F. Fraga .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain

    Carlos López-Larrea PhD , Antonio López-Vázquez MD  & Beatriz Suárez-Álvarez PhD ,  & 

  2. Fundación Renal Iñigo Alvarez de Toledo, Madrid, Spain

    Carlos López-Larrea PhD

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© 2012 Landes Bioscience and Springer Science+Business Media

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Calvanese, V., Fraga, M.F. (2012). Epigenetics of Embryonic Stem Cells. In: López-Larrea, C., López-Vázquez, A., Suárez-Álvarez, B. (eds) Stem Cell Transplantation. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 741. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2098-9_16

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