Use leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) to regulate a variety of developmental functions. LIF is an interleukin 6 class cytokine that regulates proliferation, invasion, and differentiation of trophoblasts following blastocyst attachment. Upon binding of LIF to LIF receptor (LIFR), LIFR associates with gp130 and activates JAK/STAT and MAPK signaling (Suman et al. JAK-STAT, 2014). LIFR activation of STAT3 is essential for maintaining the mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) phenotype (Niwa et al. Genes Dev, 1998). Human LIF can be used for the maintenance of mouse ESCs (Dahéron et al. Stem Cells, 2004). Human recombinant LIF from STEMCELL is animal component-free and comes lyophilized with ≥ 95% purity; EC50 ≤ 0.2 ng/mL; endotoxin levels verified ≤ 1 EU/μg protein. Alternative names: CDF, Cholinergic differentiation factor, D Factor, DIA, Differentiation-inducing factor, Differentiation inhibitory activity, Emfilermin, Hepatocyte-stimulating factor III, Leukemia inhibitory factor, MLPLI.