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Cells Reprogrammed In Living Mice

Posted by Soulskill on from the turn-your-excess-bodyfat-into-brain-cells dept.

sciencehabit writes "Researchers have discovered a surprisingly effective way to 'reprogram' mature mouse cells into an embryolike state, able to become any of the body's cell types (abstract). Their recipe: Let the transformation happen in a living animal instead of a petri dish. The finding could help scientists better understand how reprogramming works and it may one day help breed replacement tissues or organs in the lab—or in living patients."

19 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. Reprogramming Mice by rossdee · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is this a Logitech advertisement?

  2. Now this is great news by houbou · · Score: 2

    Morphing cells, so, this can have the amazing implication of fixing pretty much anything, if not enhancing and/or even modifying your cells.. Can this help with aging?

    1. Re:Now this is great news by Lohrno · · Score: 2

      I'm not a scientist, so my comment here is possibly worthless - but.. If they could reprogram them to be fresh stem cells - yes probably.

    2. Re:Now this is great news by Flere+Imsaho · · Score: 1

      In my (mostly) uninformed opinion, it depends if the cells telomeres are extended, and I doubt they would be. This could conceivably be used to regrow organs, but they would have the same genetic "age" as the original cells.

      --
      It gripped her hand gently. 'Regret is for humans,' it said.
    3. Re:Now this is great news by houbou · · Score: 1

      Still, if the age and quality are not one and the same being that an old organ would behave as a new one..

    4. Re:Now this is great news by Flere+Imsaho · · Score: 1

      True. You'd basically get an organ comprised of new, fresh cells, even if they have the same genetic age as the original organ. But if you continued replacing organs in this manner, eventually short telomeres would start intruducing errors.

      I did a bit more reading, and telomerase is active in stem cells, so potentially you could change cells to stem cells and then make them differentiate into normal cells again? TFA does state they can reprogram to any cell type.

      --
      It gripped her hand gently. 'Regret is for humans,' it said.
  3. Turn your excess bodyfat into brain cells dept by sobolwolf · · Score: 1

    For anyone that didn't read the slogan.... Soulskill has definitely out done himself today! Kudos!

  4. Now we can create by geekoid · · Score: 1, Interesting

    personal save points and roll back as needed!

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    1. Re:Now we can create by game+kid · · Score: 1

      As if Linus needs another reminder about the SSD.

      --
      You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
    2. Re:Now we can create by geekoid · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      ha!

      Old man dying on bed
      Dr. "What do you mean you never bothered to back up? Every always needs to back up!"
      Camera Zooms in on old man... It's Linus.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    3. Re:Now we can create by compro01 · · Score: 2

      Only wimps use backups: real men just upload their important stuff on ftp, and let the rest of the world mirror it.

      --
      upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
    4. Re:Now we can create by You're+All+Wrong · · Score: 1

      And after he dies, several thousand people make a claim to his estate...

      --
      Your head of state is a corrupt weasel, I hope you're happy.
  5. Re:Half novel, half obvious by i+kan+reed · · Score: 2, Funny

    We'll just reprogram the tumors to be extra testicles. Even in women. Problem solved.

  6. Regeneration by vigmeister · · Score: 2

    Could be messy, but ultimately, would a 'rolling regeneration' of our organs conveniently sidestep cellular senescence? Can you hear me now?

    --
    Atheist: Buddhist in a Prius
  7. The end of the fitness industry by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 1

    If they can figure out how to reprogram fat cells to be muscle cells, we can eat McD's for an entire month end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

    --
    When information is power, privacy is freedom.
  8. Re:To you and everyone below you.... by krashnburn200 · · Score: 2

    Wow kudos for the effort. You are the most prolific whiny bitch I have seen all week.

  9. a stepping stone to.. by houbou · · Score: 2

    true regeneration. It's that simple. If you can literally reprogram your cells, then you can use this for maintenance and/or repairs. Certainly this can mean cutting to the quick when it comes to issues such as aging. This is literally a gold mine. If such knowledge can become applied in a practical way, this can become real preventive medicine. It would have the ability to halt aging. It would also have the ability to regenerate any part of us we have, thus eliminate the need for organ donors. As long as the human brain is well, this could more than likely make us rethink our entire way we deal with medicine. This can become a big deal.

    1. Re:a stepping stone to.. by abies · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, this will not help against cancer, which is quite common cause of death these days. And I have a feeling that getting stem cells running crazy in your body is going to produce whole new set of cancer possibilities.

      Reminds me of radical regeneratives from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Planet_Called_Treason

  10. Re:Half novel, half obvious by drkim · · Score: 1

    We'll just reprogram the tumors to be extra testicles. Even in women. Problem solved.

    Yeah, "Problem solved" 'til you get your hand up her dress and..... "uh oh!"