September 11, 2014

expert reaction to study showing human stem cells ‘reset’ to the earliest developmental state

Researchers have reported in the journal Cell the ability to reset human pluripotent stem cells to the embryonic stem cell state, through expression of transcription factors and inhibition of signalling pathways.

Prof Chris Mason, Professor of Regenerative Medicine, UCL, said:

“To build a high quality product requires the best quality starting materials. It’s a no-brainer. Producing cells for human therapies is no exception. Therefore, having a source of pristine stem cells, which can be precisely changed into clinical-relevant cell types, is a major step forward. The benefits could be safer and more clinically effective cell therapies produced at lower cost – good news for patients and healthcare providers.”

‘Resetting transcription factor control circuitry toward ground-state pluripotency in human’ by Yasuhiro Takashima et al. published in Cell on Thursday 11 September 2014.

Declared interests

None declared