Year 2

T cells orchestrate immune responses and the ability to generate T cells from embryonic stem cells in a test tube could provide potentially limitless source of customized T cells for a variety of conditions including: cancer, infection and autoimmune diseases. In the past year of CIRM funding we have made progress toward this goal by identifying individual embryonic stem cell lines that have a tendency to give rise to blood cell types, including T cells. We have investigated improvements to the culture system, including manipulating extracellular signals.