Major breakthrough in reverting adult cells to stem cells

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute and other institutes have found a way to safely revert adult fibroblast cells into stem cells.

Stem cells have the ability to differentiate into any of the body’s cell types. Having a readily available source of such cells has major medical implications, potentially allowing the repair of damaged tissues anywhere in the body.

Reverting adult cells of a patient into stem cells has been a goal of researchers for quite some time. If such a feat could be achieved it would avoid the ethical complications of using embryonic stem cells and also could potentially make the immune rejection problems seen in organ transplants a thing of the past.

A method for converting adult cells to stem cells was developed some years ago but involved the insertion of foreign genes into the cell which posed significant safety concerns as the genes would permanently reside within the cells. This also had the potential to lead to the development of cancer.

But this milestone in genetics research has now been achieved through the use of specifically engineered proteins. The resulting reverted stem cells have shown no unusual function and are behaviourally indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells.

Posted By: Hugh Winwood-Smith

References:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423132559.htm