October 2, 2008  Short cut to cell replacement  By Robert Blelloch
To make one differentiated cell type from another, a ‘stopover’ at an undifferentiated state is often required. An alternative method offering an efficient direct route could have implications for disease treatment or damaged tissues by replacing the affected cells with healthy, functional cells of the same type. The prospects of this discipline have been boosted by the promise of embryonic stem (ES) cells, which are pluripotent — that is, they can differentiate into any cell type — and which can be maintained in culture to ‘self-renew’ indefinitely. Indeed, recent breakthroughs both in the production of patient-specific Eslike cells and in inducing the differentiation of ES cells into functional adult tissues have provided further hope. Like all promising therapies, however, the use of ES cells has its challenges, among them the difficulties associated with efficiently transplanting and integrating the generated tissue into the physiological framework of the body…Read More
Nature 455, 604-605 REGENERATIVE MEDICINE