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iPS Cells: Similar to ES but Not the Same
Posted by
JLoWednesday, Febuary 09, 2011
From Sam Maddox's new SCI Research blog:
Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are a discovery barely five-years old but they are one of the most compelling stories in biology. Many presumed these adult-derived cells would bypass embryos in stem cell science. New research suggests, however, that iPS cells are not as much like embryonic stem cells (ES) as first believed. They remain a transformative discovery, especially in disease modeling, but it will require a lot more study before iPS cells are as medically revolutionary as hoped.
iPS cells are adult cells, derived from skin or blood, for example, that have been back-programmed into an embryonic-like state. Induced cells look and act like remarkably like ES cells. They might be able, as an ES cell can, make all the other cells in the body.
The concept is fascinating: Take your own cell, morph it into an iPS cell which in turn can become a heart cell or nerve cell – a very nifty biology trick. Limitless replacement parts, no immune rejection. And of course the ethical bypass is obvious (no embryos, no Dickey Wicker). But according to a closer look by a group led by Joseph Ecker, a molecular geneticist at the Salk Institute, iPS cells have "hotspots" in their gene libraries that are not completely reprogrammed.
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