Innovations in the field of life sciences-2009: No. 1
1st place according to The Scientist. Pluripotency with the help of proteins
The most outstanding innovation of this year, announced in April, avoids complications associated with the use of the most common technique of reprogramming cells into an embryo-like state. Sheng Ding from the Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, California) and his colleagues for the first time induced pluripotency of mouse embryo fibroblasts exclusively using proteins, without using genetic modification methods.
In the figure, colonies of cells returned to a state of pluripotency with the help of proteins express the endogenous nanog protein (colored red).
According to Dean, the development of a technique for creating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) was an extremely important achievement, but genetic modification is a serious barrier to the introduction of the method into clinical practice, in particular, due to the potential risk of subsequent development of diseases, including cancer.
The researchers spent almost two years searching for optimal conditions and combinations of ingredients. The results of their work are published in the journal Cell Stem Cell in the article "Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using Recombinant Proteins".
The San Diego-based company Fate Therapeutics, founded by Dean, has an exclusive license to use the technology of creating stem cells using proteins and specialized cells obtained with its help. Scott Wolchko, the company's chief financial Officer, said that to date, a commercial version of the technology, including a solution of proteins and approved protocols for working with cells, or the cells themselves, is not available for purchase and is being developed jointly with partners.
Volchko refused to disclose the estimated cost of the product, and noted only that it would depend on the purpose of the application. The cheapest options will be those designed for toxicological testing and reagent development, and the most expensive – for the development of complex drugs and cell therapy.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of The Scientist: Top 10 innovations of 2009 (go to the introductory article)