Medicine

Skin and hair from stem cells

Japanese scientists have grown from stem cells, skin tissue. For this, you have reprogrammed the cells artificially. With the invention, it could succeed also to grow skin for people.

A team of researchers from the Tokyo University of Science to Ryoji Takagi has used so-called iPS cells of mice, used to grow skin tissue. The scientists report in the 1. April in the journal “Science Advances”. This tissue can assume, after Transplantation to a mouse, all the functions of natural skin.

The editorial recommends

Keyword: Regenerative Medicine

Our organism consists of more than 200 cell types. They are genetically the same at first, then specialise. These cells are a source of Materials for regenerative medicine – hope for many patients.
(21.10.2015)

Human brain grown in the laboratory

The small milky-white globs of Tissue is not larger than a pea, but he has everything needs a brain. As well as livers and other tissues, researchers in glass vessels of the brains can grow. (20.08.2015)

Japanese researchers create stem cells with acid

They took only a little acid. With this simple Trick, Japanese researchers have turned mouse cells into embryonic stem cells. This is a breakthrough for the therapy? (29.01.2014)

Ethical stem cells?

The Nobel prize for medicine goes to stem cell researchers John Gurdon and Shin’ya Yamanaka. Thus, ironically, one of the currently most controversial research will be honored areas. (08.10.2012)

All-Rounder Stem Cell

The embryonic stem cell has enormous Potential. You can divide infinitely, and in any type of body cell to develop. With their help, you want to find active ingredients for previously incurable diseases. (08.10.2012)

Shin’ya Yamanaka – In of the rest of the force

Experts have the Japanese stem-cell researchers for years on your list. All the important science prizes, the 50-Year-old already in the bag – it was just short of the Nobel. (08.10.2012)

Nobel prize in medicine goes to British and Japanese

The cell researchers John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka are the this year’s Nobel prize for medicine. You get the award for her Work in the field of stem cell research. (08.10.2012)

These iPS cells are artificially reprogrammed cells, i.e. cells that can actually form of their development to only a specific form of Tissue – virtually in a cul-de-SAC development.

By reprogramming you to be put in the situation, in all the possible cells of the body to develop – similar to embryonic stem cells, which have the only natural cells this way.

Signal protein stimulates formation of the correct cells

The researchers have influenced the iPS cells so that in the laboratory, three-dimensional, small tissue lumps developed. These so-called “Embryoid bodies” to develop, usually in an uncontrolled manner in different types of tissue. The scientists who influenced the development, however, by the addition of a signal protein. And they used the cells to the growth temporarily in the vicinity of the kidneys of Mice.

Then the skin cell layers, hair follicles and other skin structures were formed. In the follicles, there were, as with normal hair, sebaceous glands and muscle fibers. Then transplanted, the researchers of this tissue oriented in the skin of other mice. After fourteen days, the transplanted Nude mice grew the TRANS in this area of hair. In addition, the tissue went in Connections with the surrounding nerves and muscle fibers. A special risk, of stem cell research – the tumor formation – was also. Even after three months the skin tissue was not infected by a cancer.

All of the cells of the body arise from stem cells, but only embryonic stem cells can form all cell forms.

Vision: replacement organs from the laboratory

In a communication of the Riken Center for Developmental Biology (CDB) in Japan, to the research scientists involved in Takashi Tsuji expressed the hope that with this method in the future, “the functioning of organs for transplants in the lab” created.

Before the researchers turn to but other body cells, you want to try human skin with the procedure – for example, for burn victims.

Still many questions open

Andreas Trumpp, head of the Department of stem cells and cancer at the German cancer research center and Director of the stem cell Institute HI-STEM in Heidelberg, said to the media, the new research on mouse cells could only be a first step for the production of human skin. “The work is an improvement of an old concept. You get so but still not a pure and complete skin, but rather small areas with many hair follicles.”

Also, the study did not prove that in fact everything is already working in this new skin, as, for example, the skin barrier or sweat and sebaceous glands. The Japanese Shinya Yamanaka had received for the 2006 successful reprogramming of somatic cells to iPS cells in the year 2012, the Nobel prize in medicine.

fs/nm (dpa)