Source: Reuters
Posted: June 14, 2006 1:03pm ET
Summary:
Researchers have discovered a gene called Nanog helped to transform adult mouse cells into embryonic stem cells after cell fusion -- when two cells are combined to form a hybrid.
Named after the mythical Celtic land of the ever young, the gene could help explain how to reprogram adult cells into embryonic stem cells to treat diseases.
The scientists fused mouse embryonic stem cells with adult brain cells. They found that inserting Nanog increased the number of hybrid cells which all behaved like embryonic stem cells. The hybrid cells also displayed the capability to form into different cell types.
The lead researcher in the study said that in the future scientists will be able to expose adult stem cells to Nanog and the other genes to reprogram them to an embryonic state without using cell fusion or nuclear transfer, a cellular cloning technique.
Commentary: Hopefully this discovery will eliminate the ethical controversy surrounding embryonic stem cell research and could aid in the development of stem cell lines that are tailored to patients' genetic make-up in order to treat or cure disease while avoiding rejection of the cells by the immune system.
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