Researches Turned Skin Cells into Heart and Brain Cells using Drugs
Skin cells have been turned into heart cells with the use of chemicals rather than genes being added. Hopefully, cells will be regenerated in the future with drugs rather than the controversial genetic engineering.
Skin cells have been turned into heart cells with the use of chemicals rather than genes being added. Hopefully, cells will be regenerated in the future with drugs rather than the controversial genetic engineering. Scientists at the Roddenberry Centre for Stem Cell Biology used tie chemicals to alter the cells to brain or heart cells.
According to Sheng Ding Ph.D., the aim is to use altered cells to treat Parkinson’s and heart failure by letting the body regenerate their own cells. It is an attempt to replicate the actions of salamanders and newts who are able to regenerate their parts. Heart transplants are not easy, and it will be a great improvement of the hearts’ own cells can be replicated.
READ ALSO: New Laser Imaging System Shows the Structure of Biological Tissue and The Dynamic Activity
Nine drugs have been used in the process, and it was a trial and error that got the scientists to this point. Further drugs were used to turn the cells than into heart muscle cells. 97% of the cells take on the characteristics of heart cells and hormones receive the correct response. When implanted into a mouse, the cells took on the traits of heart cells.
Ideally, this is the way to treat heart failure in the future and reprogramming a person’s cells will be the safest way to do it. A second lot of tests found that it took ten days for the cells to rejuvenate and change, then the cells changed from one type to another. The study showed that chemicals can change the mechanical make-up of cells.
Story Via, GLADSTONE INSTITUTES
Related Coverage
- ‘Samsung Biologics’ is Looking For a Place in The Field of Biotechnology
- According to a New Study Early Life Stress Can Change Genes in Brain
- The Next Phase of Genome-Wide Studies Moves Forward
- Find Simple Methods to Prevent Heart Attacks and Stroke
- Heart Disease Could be Limited With This New Drug
Don't miss new tech stories on Google
Add TrendinTech once in the Google app and our stories appear in your news suggestions.
Rachel Kowalski
Rachel Kowalski is the Cybersecurity Analyst at TrendinTech, where she covers vulnerabilities, ransomware, supply chain attacks, nation-state operations and the security rules shaping organizations in the United States and Europe. Before moving into journalism she worked as a threat intelligence analyst at a security vendor and later reported for CyberScoop and the security desk at Wired, covering the SolarWinds compromise and the ransomware wave that hit hospitals and pipelines. Rachel holds a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from the Georgia Institute of Technology and attends Black Hat and DEF CON in Las Vegas each year, where she follows research from the security community. She writes to make risks and countermeasures understandable to people who are not specialists.
All stories by Rachel Kowalski (214)