A team of scientists (lead by Kevin Eggan) from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) and Columbia University have produced human stem cell lines from the cells of two elderly men suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The team turned skin cells collected from elderly patients with ALS into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Pluripotent cells are cells that can develop into many different cells and tissues in the body. Induced Pluripotent stem cells are artificially derived from non-pluripotent cells by inducing ‘forced’ expression of certain genes. They then directed the iPS cells to differentiate into the nerve cells that are killed by the disease. Using this method allows limitless supplies of the cells to be grown.
To produce iPS cells, four DNA transcript factors (Klf4, Sox2, Oct3/4 and c-Myc) were integrated into adult cell genome. This process eliminates the need for embryo’s.
This breakthrough gives hope that one day it may be possible to treat patients with chronic diseases through stem cell derived from their own cells. Currently the newly created cells cannot be tested in human subjects as one of the four transcript factors (c-Myc) is cancer causing.
To view original article; http://www.huliq.com/65502/neurons-created-skin-cells-elderly-als-p
