The ability of some stem cells to transform into other types of cells makes them extremely powerful within the human body. Researchers are increasingly focusing on the potential therapeutic treatments available using stem cells and believe that they may be used to treat conditions including spinal injuries, breast cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
One key challenge that researchers face is creating the stem cells which can transform themselves into other types of cells. There are a number of types of stem cells with this ability including multipotent and pluripotent stem cells.
Scientists from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland may have discovered a method which allows them to create stem cells very easily. They have developed a 3D gel that squeezes normal cells, making them revert back into stem cells. The research was recently published in the journal Nature Materials.
One key advantage of this technique is that it can be scaled up to industrial levels very easily, allowing scientists to generate unlimited numbers of usable stem cells.
The researchers are particularly interested in creating Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs). These are stem cells which have been derived from mature cells and genetically modified to behave like stem cells. Researchers have already made many breakthroughs using iPSCs and have used them to create lung, skin, liver and pancreatic cells.
Scientists have used a variety of methods to create iPSCs in the past, but this is the first method that can potentially create huge numbers of usable stem cells. Specially programmed cells are placed inside the 3D cell culture system which contains nutrients. The cells are influenced by the surrounding environment and reprogram themselves to become iPSCs. The whole process occurs very quickly, which is another advantage for this method.
Source: Scientists develop a method to convert cells into usable stem cells
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