NYSCF Innovator Investigates Genomic Instability in Cell Reprogramming
NewsAdult cells can be reprogrammed into stem cells through a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer where the nucleus of the adult cell is transferred into an enucleated oocyte or egg cell. However, this process often causes the cell to stop dividing and growing. NYSCF – Robertson Stem Cell Investigator Dr. Dieter Egli and a team of researchers at Columbia University Medical Center studied why this developmental arrest happens. Published in Nature Cell Biology, the scientists showed that cell-type-specific features of cell cycle progression are different enough from one another to prevent the transition from one cell type to another during reprogramming, independent of gene expression.
It is not yet known which type of stem cell derivation will result in the best cells for use in research, drug toxicity testing, and future cell replacement therapies. Understanding the causes and affects of reprogramming techniques on DNA and genome expression is a critical step towards better research, and new treatments and therapies.