Mouse embryonic stem cellsWIKIMEDIA COMMONS, CHONGDAE
Scientists first developed the ability to reprogram somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells—cells that could give rise to any of the body’s cells types—in 2006. However, the technique has required the insertion of “master genes” that could increase the risk of mutations and cancer, limiting its potential clinical applications. A new study published Thursday (July 18) in Science demonstrates the creation of pluripotent stem cells in mice using a cocktail of small molecule compounds that can substitute for the potentially dangerous genes.
Though scientists have steadily reduced the need for additional genes to trigger pluripotency, one gene, Oct4, has been indispensable. Researchers led by Hongkui Deng at Peking University spent a year screening 10,000 compounds that would facilitate the reprogramming of mouse somatic cells into ...
