Stem Cell Alchemy Refined

Via Wired Blog -

Scientists may have found a safer way of giving a flake of skin the biologically alchemical powers of embryonic stem cells.

They turned adult cells into versatile, embryonic-like cells without causing permanent damage -- potentially solving the central problem of a promising but uncertain field of stem cell science.

"This is certainly a major stem cell milestone," said Advanced Cell Technologies chief scientific officer Bob Lanza, who was not involved in the research. "It’s the first ray of light that iPS cells could soon be used to treat patients."

These iPS cells -- short for induced pluripotent stem cell -- debuted less than a year ago: By using viruses to insert key developmental genes, researchers coaxed human skin cells into an embryonic state, capable of growing into almost any other type of tissue.

It was the biggest stem cell breakthrough in a decade. No longer would tricky -- and ethically controversial -- manufacturing procedures be required to produce ultra-versatile stem cells.

Cloning wouldn't be needed to produce personally customized embryonic stem cell lines, which remain as elusive as they are promising.

But there was a catch: Viruses used to reset the cells tended to fuse with their DNA, leading to unpredictable mutations and cancer. The cells were promising in principle, but couldn't be used medically. The standard iPS technique was a blunt and damaging instrument.

The new technique doesn't cause permanent genetic alterations; it's a scalpel that leaves no scar behind. And though important caveats remain -- the procedure, published today in Science, was performed on mice -- it has made safe iPS cells a realistic possibility.

"Clinical translation of iPS technology has been dead in its tracks," said Lanza. "The use of iPS cells to treat -- or even cure -- human disease may not be far away."