1) When is the latest that external signals could influence or change the fate of the cell prior to completion of the determination process?

2) What is the molecular regulatory mechanisms behind cell determination?

2i) With the genetic tools available today I think it will not be long before gene therapy could be possible. I am very interested in genetic diseases and changes in DNA. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms behind cell determination would provide knowledge on how irreversible changes to DNA are made and how gene expression is regulated.

With this knowledge, research could be done to explore if and how these changes (cell determination) could be reversed. It would also provide further insight to how modifications or signals could be introduced at a genetic level to control gene expression. If this problem was fully understood and solved, it could provide a new area of how gene expression of cells could be modified and influenced for medical purposes. Possible target genes to genome editing tools would be revealed and geneticist would be able to change the fate of determined cells. Overexpressed oncogenes in cancer cells could be silenced or turned off. For the community, gene therapy would be able to cure genetic diseases and impact cancer treatments. This would increase the life expectancy and life quality.