Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • In Brief
  • Published:

Stem cells

Histone deacetylase inhibitors for stem cell boost

Nature Reviews Genetics volume 15, page 364 (2014)Cite this article

Subjects

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

Stem and progenitor cells hold promise as cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine, but optimal ex vivo culture conditions are key for maximizing their therapeutic potential. Chaurasia et al. studied human umbilical cord blood cells, which are a limited source of haematopoietic stem cells for transplantation into allogeneic recipients that suffer from haematopoietic abnormalities. Testing the effects of various growth factors and small molecules on cord blood cells ex vivo, they found that the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) valproic acid increased the number of stem cells, upregulated the expression of pluripotency genes and enhanced the repopulation of the haematopoietic system when transplanted into immunodeficient mice. In a separate study, Palii et al. studied human endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) derived from cord blood for their ability to repair vascular tissue in a mouse model of ischaemic tissue damage. They identified a key role for the transcription factor TAL1 in the repair, which recruits histone acetyltransferase p300 to effector genes. Treatment of EPCs with the HDACi trichostatin A — to mimic TAL1 function — enhanced vascular repair. Overall, chromatin-modulating small molecules could be valuable for optimizing gene expression programmes in stem-cell-based therapy applications, provided that they are safe.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Chaurasia, P. et al. Epigenetic reprogramming induces the expansion of cord blood stem cells. J. Clin. Invest. http://dx.doi.org/10.1172/JCI70313 (2014)

  2. Palii, C. G. et al. Trichostatin A enhances vascular repair by injected human endothelial progenitors through increasing the expression of TAL1-dependent genes. Cell Stem Cell 14, 644–657 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Darren J. Burgess
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Burgess, D. Histone deacetylase inhibitors for stem cell boost. Nat Rev Genet 15, 364 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3755

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3755

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing: Translational Research

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma.

Get what matters in translational research, free to your inbox weekly. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Translational Research