STEM cells derived from an adult’s own cells have come a step closer.
Earlier this year, three independent teams reported reprogramming adult mouse cells into embryonic stem cell-like (ESC-like) cells by expressing the genes for four crucial factors (Â鶹´«Ã½, 6 June, p 8).
However, a number of obstacles remained before this technique could be useful in humans. One of these was the method used to identify cells that had successfully reprogrammed. This involved accurately inserting an antibiotic-resistance gene into the cells near an important ESC gene, so that only reprogrammed cells would be able to grow in a…
