Methodology article

Development of antibodies to human embryonic stem cell antigens

Jingli Cai¹ , Judith M Olson² , Mahendra S Rao¹ , Marisa Stanley² , Eva Taylor² and Hsiao-Tzu Ni²

¹  Stem Cell Biology Unit, Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, 333 Cassell Dr, Rm406A, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA

²  Stem Cell Department, R&D Systems, Inc., 614 McKinley Place. Minneapolis, MN 55413, USA

author email corresponding author email

BMC Developmental Biology 2005, 5:26doi:10.1186/1471-213X-5-26

Published:	29 November 2005

Abstract

Background

Using antibodies to specific protein antigens is the method of choice to assign and identify cell lineage through simultaneous analysis of surface molecules and intracellular markers. Embryonic stem cell research can be benefited from using antibodies specific to transcriptional factors/markers that contribute to the "stemness" phenotype or critical for cell lineage.

Results

In this report, we have developed and validated antibodies (either monoclonal or polyclonal) specific to human embryonic stem cell antigens and early differentiation transcriptional factors/markers that are critical for cell differentiation into definite lineage.

Conclusion

These antibodies enable stem cell biologists to conveniently identify stem cell characteristics and to quantitatively assess differentiation.