It is possible to transform normal skin cells into so-called induced pluripotent stem or iPS cells. Scripps Research Institute in California discovered new approaches to make this a possibility. The utilization of a mixture of purified proteins with chemical additive could make it possible to create stem cells without the need to use genetic substance for the ‘reprogramming of mice cells’ based on findings from Dr. Sheng Ding.
The findings published in the Journal Cell Stem Cell, depicts Ding’s perception of how critical this research has proven to be. It shows that embryonic cells can be generated from fibroblast, which is products of connective tissues, exclusive of the use of genetic focus. This is something that scientists have been trying to understand for years.
The interest of reprogramming cells became a key issue for science since three years ago, when it was shown that adult cells could be restructured into iPS cells. This gave rise to the potential development of biomedicine from these very cells. It is so thought that in the future a bunch of medicine based on this technology will be disposable to treat a variety of medical conditions.
Nonetheless, the iPS cells were produced with the use of genetic materials like embryos. These embryos are also complex and difficult to develop. Thereafter, advancement enabled iPS cells to be produced with a minimum use of genetic modification. There were, however, other forms of genes used such as plasmids. This made it impossible to exclude the hazard of genetic mutation, if medicine was to be produced from the iPS cell available.
Dr. Sheng Ding and members of the team were successfully able to generate and reprogram cells with the use of re-created proteins and chemicals. This was done without the use of any genetic material. They proceeded with the use of four genes to develop the embryonic cell. Subsequently, the cells were genetically engineered with a particular molecule that allowed them to bypass the barriers of the cell.
This whole process is called piPS or protein-induced pluripotent stem cells. The process is as follows; proteins are broken down eventually by the cells. The protein activity is thereby sustained to enable to induce the reprogramming of the cells. This cycle is maintained through constant addition of protein.
This methodology, piPS protocol, is a major progress in the field of iPS cells. It is also much improved in comparison to previously used approaches.
Ding’s team is willing to sell their piPS protocol to other scientists willing to adopt a more convenient way to create stem cells. Based on an interview with Reuters, they could afterwards be used in medicine to treat brain disease, cancer and other types of injuries,
Reference;
http://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909%2808%2900485-2
Fri, Nov 27, 2009
Bioscience, Health And Aging, Stem cells