US scientists have found a way of turning back the clock on adult cells to transform them into immature stem cells. It is hoped that the revolutionary research by Dr Sheng Ding and colleagues at the Scripps Research Institute in California could provide scientists with an entirely non-controversial source of stem cells. The researchers discovered that a small molecule called reversine causes cells programmed to develop into muscle cells to go into reverse and transform back into immature cells capable of developing into many different types of cells and tissues. Ding says that the discovery could help to make stem cell research more practical as it will enable doctors to derive stem cell-like cells from a patient’s own mature cells, while “avoiding the technical and ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cells.” However, Ding warns that much more research needs to be carried out to determine how reversine works and to refine their technique.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: J Am Chem Soc. 2004;126:410.
