Immortalizing cells, obtaining stem cells

2009/11/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Bioteknologia
• Biokimika

Research to obtain stem cells from mature cells is giving good results with a method based on cell immortality. This shows that cellular reprogramming and the appearance of cancer are related.

They block the p53 path to immortalize cells. This path prevents cells from turning into cancer cells. Five groups of researchers work with this method and the results are very satisfactory.

In fact, since they managed to create induced pluripotent stem cells, they have developed various methods for the manufacture of these cells, but they are unsuccessful (less than 1% of mature cells become stem cells). On the contrary, by means of the method based on blocking the path p53, and the use of viruses containing the four factors normally used in reprogramming, make the stem cell 10% of the surface cells.

In fact, there are many who use these four factors in one way or another to ensure safety. Now it has been shown that if with this the path p53 is blocked the results are much better. The five working groups have published their work simultaneously in the journal Nature.