Another Key to “All-purpose” iPS Cells
Scientists at the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI, TAIPEI, Taiwan) successfully turned cells in the umbilical vein into “all-purpose” induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS).
The iPS cells can be turned into cells of the nerves, skin, liver, pancreas and other organs.
Research Associate Yen Ling-yu pointed out the difficulty in obtaining stem cells, describing the process as riddled with ethical concerns.
- Scientists in the US and Japan have been figuring out ways to make ordinary cells useful in stem cell technology for years.
The process by which ordinary cells become stem cells requires 4 additional transcription factors (OCT4, SOX2, c-MYC and KLF4).
- Research shows that the c-MYC and KLF4 genes could turn cells cancerous, which has greatly limited its scope of application for scientists.
The human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) used by NHRI scientists were found to be rich in KLF4 gene, a key role in stem cell transformation.
- The umbilical cells did not require the cancer-inducing genes of c-MYC and KLF4 to turn into a stem cell.
HUVECs were taken from the umbilical cords of newborn infants, which are often discarded by obstetricians anyway.
- The “all-purpose” factor of the cell focuses its ability to be turned into other types of cells in the body, opening up new opportunities for it to be tested as a treatment of disease. (HWM and China Post)
