Rsearchers have reprogrammed mature blood cells from mice into blood-forming hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), using a cocktail of 8 transcription factors. The reprogrammed cells, which the researchers have dubbed induced HSCs (iHSCs), have the functional hallmarks of HSCs, are able to self-renew like HSCs, and can give rise to all of the cellular components of the blood like HSCs. >>The source cells were reprogrammed by exposing them to viruses containing the genes for all 8 factors and a molecular switch that turned the factor genes on in the presence of doxycycline >then transplanted the exposed cells into recipient mice and activated the genes by giving the mice doxycycline. ~NOTE: HSCs only comprise about 1 in every 20,000 cells in the bone marrow, says Rossi. If we could generate autologous HSCs from a patients other cells, it could be transformative for transplant medicine and for our ability to model diseases of blood development. eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-04/bch-srb042214.php
Posted on: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 23:47:24 +0000