The paper:
K. Watanabe et al., "A ROCK inhibitor permits survival of dissociated human embryonic stem cells," Nat Biotech, 25:681–86, 2007. (Cited in 59 papers)
The finding:
To address the problem of human embryonic stem (ES) cells undergoing programmed cell death when dissociated into single cells, a team led by Yoshiki Sasai of the RIKEN Kobe Institute in Japan performed a comprehensive chemical screen for inhibitors of apoptosis. The researchers discovered that a Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor called Y-27632 significantly enhanced the survival rate of single ES cells in culture and in suspension.
The impact:
The study provides "a major technical advance," says Michael Olson, of the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow. "It enables people to more easily grow human [embryonic] stem cells, which are inherently fragile and difficult to culture."
The mechanism:
Derrick Rancourt and Roman Krawetz at the University of Calgary showed that ROCK interacts with ...
