Mouse small intestineWELLCOME IMAGES, PAUL APPLETON, UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE
1. New method for generating iPSCs
There are several drawbacks to existing methods of reprogramming somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells , such as the alteration of the cell’s genome through the use of retroviruses and other genetic elements for transfection of the reprogramming transcription factors. Now, by transfecting chemically modified mRNAs to encode five necessary transcription factors, researchers can turn four human cell types into genetically unmodified iPS cells with high efficiency and without activating an innate immune response—reducing cytotoxity and the risk of the cells becoming cancerous.
L. Warren, et al., “Highly efficient reprogramming to pluripotency and directed differentiation of human cells with synthetic modified mRNA,” Cell Stem Cell, 7:618-30, 2010. Free F1000 evaluation
2. Stem cells, now in 3-D
Through ...
