Modeling human disease with pluripotent stem cells: from genome association to function

Florian T Merkle; Kevin Eggan

doi:10.1016/j.stem.2013.05.016

Modeling human disease with pluripotent stem cells: from genome association to function

Cell Stem Cell. 2013 Jun 6;12(6):656-68. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2013.05.016.

Authors

Florian T Merkle¹, Kevin Eggan

Affiliation

¹ The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.

PMID: 23746975
DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2013.05.016

Abstract

Mechanistic insights into human disease may enable the development of treatments that are effective in broad patient populations. The confluence of gene-editing technologies, induced pluripotent stem cells, and genome-wide association as well as DNA sequencing studies is enabling new approaches for illuminating the molecular basis of human disease. We discuss the opportunities and challenges of combining these technologies and provide a workflow for interrogating the contribution of disease-associated candidate genetic variants to disease-relevant phenotypes. Finally, we discuss the potential utility of human pluripotent stem cells for placing disease-associated genetic variants into molecular pathways.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Disease / genetics*
Genetic Variation / genetics
Genome-Wide Association Study*
Humans
Models, Genetic*
Phenotype
Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism*
Sequence Analysis, DNA

Grants and funding

Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States