Despite all the technology “progress” over the years that was supposed to save us heaps of time, we seem to be busier than ever. Real-time internet and PDAs make communication a 24-7 gig, so it’s no wonder that there’s a big movement in self-renewal. We would take some time here to give you small ways to take back your morning, but instead we’ll point you to a great review in Landes’ Epigenetics on self-renewal in adult stem cells where DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) have got the self-renewal thing mastered.
The scientists from Harvard Medical School focused on the role that DNA methylation (DNAm) plays in adult stem cells and explore how it maintains stem cell function and self-renewal. The specific topics include:
- How DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) initiate and maintain methyl marks.
- DNAm and self-renewal in embryonic stem (ES) cells
- DNAm in somatic stem cells including: hematopoetic, epithelial, nueral and muscle.
The authors point out that this area of study is just taking off, and that milestones like mapping the stem cell methylome, and identifying DNMT interacting proteins, are some of the critical next steps needed in the field.
To raise your stem cell IQ (and make Nancy Reagan and Michael J. Fox proud in the process!) check out the full review in Epigenetics, April 2010.