Embryonic stem (ES) cells are cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, an early-stage embryo. ES cells are distinguished from other cells due to their pluripotency, which is the ability to differentiate into any different type of cell in the body, and also their capability of propagating indefinitely. These two factors make embryonic stem cells valuable tools in the scientific community, especially in regenerative medicine.
Sox2 and Oct4 are well known transcriptional activators that play a crucial role in the regulation of embryonic stem cell pluripotency. When Oct4 and Sox2 expression is knocked down, embryonic stem cells lose the ability to maintain their pluripotency. Research using gene-knockout experiments has shown the importance of Oct4 and Sox2 in early embryonic development.
Oct4 and Sox2 bind to a few thousand regulatory sites in the embryonic stem cell genome, and it is likely these target genes play a role in modulating ES cell differentiation. One well known gene that is activated by Oct4 and Sox2 is Nanog. Nanog, along with Oct4 and Sox2, are core transcription factors which regulate the pluripotency and self-renewal of embryonic stem cells.
In addition to helping understand the pluripotency of ES cells, antibodies against Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog have been used to investigate malignancy in human glioma cells. Recently, there have been a number of studies focusing on the expression Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog in human gliomas. More and more research is being done to uncover the role these core regulatory factors play in glioma progression and malignancy. Huge strides have been made in stem cell-related research using Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog antibodies. This research has shown great potential for discovering treatments and cures for a wide array of diseases including cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and diabetes.
Novus Biologicals offers Sox2 reagents for your research needs including:
