Soft substrates may promote the production of induced pluripotent stem cells
Friday, May 2, 2014 - 08:01
in Biology & Nature
Converting adult cells into stem cells that can develop into other types of specialized cells is one of the most active areas of medical research, holding great promise for the treatment of disease and repair of damaged tissues. The techniques available for reprogramming adult cells into stem cells, however, remain imperfect and inefficient. In research that could help improve reprogramming efficiency, Sayaka Higuchi and colleagues from the RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center have now found that culturing cells on soft or elastic substrates enhances expression of some of the markers of stem cell reprogramming.