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Description

NANOG is a gene expressed in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and is thought to be a key factor in maintaining pluripotency. NANOG thought to function in concert with other factors such as POU5F1 and SOX2 to establish ESC identity. These cells offer an important area of study because of their ability to maintain pluripotency, i.e., these cells have the ability to become virtually any cell of any of the three germ layers (endoderm, ectoderm, mesoderm). NANOG may be useful in the immunohistochemical diagnosis of tumors. NANOG is expressed in germ cells of the fetus and in some germ cell tumors of the gonads and central nervous system (CNS).