It is possible to create mammalian embryonic cells using a new, ultra-simple reprogramming process, according to the results of Japanese scientific work published in the specialized journal Nature.
Thanks to this new process, researchers obtained a new type of stem cells
The team led by Dr Haruko Obokata from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan used white blood cells from newborn mice. Researchers have changed the environment of cells. They immersed them in an acidic solution for less than half an hour. They then spent 5 minutes in the centrifuge and immersed them for 7 days in culture medium.
This process made it possible to manufacture cells called STAP (Stimulus-Triggered Pluripotency Acquisition).
This regeneration phenomenon linked to a modification of the environment had already been observed in plants, but never in mammals.
A revolutionary discovery
The stem cells are the basis of regenerative medicine. They would repair or replace damaged tissues or organs and fight against diseases such as Alzheimer’s or cancer.
But so far the ‘making of stem cells Was complicated. The transformation of a specialized cell, taken from an adult, into similar cells, embryonic stem cells, called “induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS)” involved a controversial process, the use of embryos and manipulation of genes.
“It’s incredible. I never thought that this external constraint could have this effect, ”explains Yoshiki Sasai, a researcher at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe and a co-author of the latest studies.
“These results are important for understanding nuclear reprogramming,” says Shinya Yamanaka, pioneer of iPS cell research. From a point of view towards practical clinical applications, I see this as a new approach to generate cells. “
Researchers must now prove that this method can be applied to human cells before using it clinically.
