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Scientists Use Virus To Reprogram Adult Cells In Mice

Posted by timothy on from the now-the-mice-hate-cocaine dept.

n2hightech writes "Harvard University scientists figured out how to activate a trio of dormant genes that commanded non-insulin producing pancreas cells to switch to the Beta type insulin producing cells. The method uses an engineered virus to infect the cells and deliver special proteins that activate the dormant genes. This technology has the potential to make all stem cell based methods obsolete because it does not pose the risk of rejection and cancer associated with stem cells. A simple injection into the area where cells need to be reprogrammed is all that is required." Gospodin adds a link to coverage at the Washington Post.

4 of 36 comments (clear)

  1. Link to the article here by philspear · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nature07314.html

    This is absurd, I had to go through three different links to find it.

    In case any of you were wondering, the mysterious three genes they used were the transcription factors "Ngn3 (also known as Neurog3) Pdx1 and Mafa," which are NOT the same as the induced pluripotent stem cell magic transcription factors. In those cases I think it was Oct4, Nanog, and c-myc.

    Anyway, I find it interesting that an Ngn was used, I thought those caused neuronal differentiation.

    1. Re:Link to the article here by philspear · · Score: 4, Informative

      Oh, also to point out, the differences between this and that is that in the induced pluripotent stem cells, there was a high chance of causing tumors. Two of the virally transfected genes (I think nanog and c-myc) were oncogenes, and the IPS cells caused teratomas. These people found that you didn't have to revert the cells all the way back to something that could produce a teratoma.

      In other words, you probably are far less likely to develop horrible tumors as a result of this treatment than the previous ones.

      It is worth pointing out that viruses tend to deliver genes without reguard for location. There could be some that are targeted and I wouldn't know about it, but from what I've heard, there is still a possibility these viral vectors could plant the genes in the middle of a gene that prevents cancer, destroying it's function, and giving you cancer.

      (The inevitable "I am legend" reference, on the other hand, has no theoretical basis, and is a little like me saying "Terminator!!!" every time someone talks about linux.)

  2. Re:Impressive on many levels by philspear · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just to point out, the more informative full article is at http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nature07314.html

    Don't know if you can get the PDF, I think it needs a subscription, but in the paper, they are in fact using viral delivery.

    Also a technical note, induced pluripotent stem cells, the ones that made headlines last year, can definitely be adult cells. I believe they took fibroblasts from a 60 year old man, transformed them using viruses, and made the pluripotent cells. So it's not correct to say "they didn't use pluripotent cells, but rather adult cells."

  3. Re:Hah ok by Urkki · · Score: 2, Informative

    Plasmids are "small" DNA molecules, usually ring shaped. Using plasmids would be introducing new DNA into the cell. This article is about activating existing DNA.

    Quite interesting implications in treating any disease that is caused by body cells no longer doing what they're supposed to do (such as diabetes)... And probably deactivation would be about as easy as activation, so also implications for diseases that are caused by cells doing stuff they aren't supposed to do (maybe even generic cancer treatment, simply stopping any tumor from growing, no matter what type of tumor it is), or doing too much of the stuff they're normally supposed to do (thyroid hyperfunction).