Major breakthrough brings regenerative medicines closer to reality

Washington, August 1 (ANI): Scientists have developed a model that is capable of making predictions from which differentiated cells - for instance skin cells - can be changed into completely different cell types - like nerve cells.



The applications could be of enormous benefit: When nerve tissue becomes diseased, for example, then doctors could take healthy cells from the patient's own skin. They could then reprogram these to develop into nerve cells. These healthy nerve cells would then be implanted into the diseased tissue or even replace it entirely. This would treat, and ideally heal, diseases such as Parkinson's disease.

The techniques for cell programming are still in their infancy.

The LCSB researchers have replaced trial and error with computer calculations, as computer scientist and PhD student at LCSB Isaac Crespo said that their theoretical model first queries databases where vast amounts of information on gene actions and their effects are stored and then identifies the genes that maintain the stability of differentiated cells.


Professor Antonio del Sol, head of the Computational Biology group at LCSB, said that their predictions have proved very accurate in the lab.


Prof. del Sol's and Crespo's model thus allows highly variable jumping between very different cell types without taking a detour via stem cells.


The study has been published in the scientific journal Stem Cells. (ANI)


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