From U Utah: Totipotency: What it is and what it isn't

Stem Cells Dev. 2013 Dec 24. [Epub ahead of print]

Totipotency: What it is and what it isn't.

Condic ML.

Author information

• University of Utah, Neurobiology and Anatomy, 20 North 1900 East, 401 MREB, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84132-3401, 801-585-3482, 801-581-4233, , United States ; mlcondic@neuro.utah.edu.

Abstract

There is surprising confusion surrounding the concept of biological totipotency, both within the scientific community and in society at large. Increasingly, ethical objections to scientific research have both practical and political implications. Ethical controversy surrounding an area of research can have a chilling effect on investors and industry, which in turn slows the development of novel medical therapies. One author referred to this phenomenon as, "Ethics' paralyzing grip on commercialization" [1]. In this context, clarifying precisely what is meant by "totipotency" and how it is experimentally determined will both avoid unnecessary controversy and potentially reduce inappropriate barriers to research. Here, the concept of totipotency is discussed, and the confusions surrounding this term in the scientific and non-scientific literature are considered. A new term, "plenipotent," is proposed to resolve this confusion. The requirement for specific, oocyte-derived cytoplasm as a component of totipotency is outlined. Finally, the implications of twinning for our understanding of totipotency are discussed.