Single Virus Used To Convert Adult Cells To Embryonic Stem Cell-like Cells
Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 22:28
in Biology & Nature
Adult cells, from both humans and mice, can be converted into embryonic stem cell-like cells using a single virus to insert four reprogramming genes into the cells' genomes. Previous reprogramming approaches have relied on four separate viruses, one virus for each gene, to deliver the genes to cellular nuclei. Because this new method inserts the genes in only one place, it is less disruptive to a cell's genome.