SCIENTISTS HAVE LEARNED HOW TO GET STEM CELLS

Biologists from the Japanese research institute RIKEN and Harvard Medical School found that mature blood cells can be reprogrammed into stem cells by simple incubation in acidic medium, reports “to Lenta.Ru”referring to BBC News. The resulting cells can be activated independently of the different tissues.

Meanwhile, the work was carried out on lymphocytes isolated from the spleen of mice by using a cell sorter – device for separating cells based on their surface antigens. The isolated cells were incubated for about an hour in a weakly acidic medium (pH = 5,7), and then plated on standard medium. Subsequent analysis showed that lymphocytes were transformed into cells that resemble stem.

The authors gave the name of such cells STAP (stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency – «cells with stimulus-acquired pluripotency”).

Scientists note that the results obtained in this way stem cells can develop in the tissues of the body, or “integrated” into the existing embryo.

At the same time these cells there is a low capacity for independent division for a long time. However, if they are placed in a nutrient medium, the culture will begin to grow and become an analogue of embryonic cells, writes “RG” .

According to researchers, STAP-cells have great potential – they are able to develop not only in the tissues of the embryo, but also in cells of the placenta. What is rarely observed in other types of stem cells.

It is reported that already successfully carried out similar experiments with the neurons of the brain, muscle cells and other tissues taken from mice, whose age was one week. New experiments will determine how STAP-cells suitable for therapeutic purposes.

The researchers note that they developed method allows to obtain the desired tissue more efficiently and faster. He is expected to give impetus to the development of regenerative medicine.