Propagation of human embryonic stem cells: Role of TGF β

Abstract

Human embryonic stem cells (hES) have tremendous application in several areas of research including regenerative medicine, developmental biology, drug screening, and drug discovery. Transforming Growth Factor (TGF) β and its family of proteins have an indispensible role in genesis and maintenance of various organs and cancer and are also used for the propagation of embryonic stem cells. In this review, we discuss the TGF β family members, and their signalling, and delve into the molecular mechanism by which TGF β proteins may regulate the propagation of human embryonic stem cells.