Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) is a lymphoid factor that promotes long-term maintenance of embryonic stem cells by suppressing spontaneous differentiation. LIF has several functions such as cholinergic neuron differentiation, control of stem cell pluripotency, bone & fat metabolism, mitogenesis of factor dependent cell lines & promotion of megakaryocyte production in vivo. Human and mouse LIF exhibit a 78% identity in its amino acid sequence. Human LIF is as active on human cells as is it is on mouse cells, tho
