Ratings

MUC1* appears to be the true marker of stem cell pluripotency. Dimerization of surface MUC1* with NM23 or specific divalent antibody causes division of pluripotent stem cells without differentiation. A major breakthrough toward making possible the establishment of stable sources of undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells. These authors point to previous work demonstrating MUC1* and its natural ligand NM23 form a positive feedback loop causing cancer cell division and resistance to apoptosis. It appears that the same mechanism responsible for pluripotent stem cell division in embryonic development and turned off in cellular differentiation may through a series of mischances in later life be reactivated in cancers. Brilliant work.