They are characterized by their potential to self-renew indefinitely and to differentiate into any of the three germ layers - endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm.

• 阐明胚胎干细胞全能性维持以及向各种特定细胞分化的分子机制，不仅有助于我们了解胚胎发育过程，而且将促进胚胎干细胞尽早应用于疾病治疗。