‘Significant Milestone’ in Medicine: Scientists Reset Human Stem Cells

September 12, 2014

(Medical News Today) – Previously, researchers have struggled to generate human pluripotent stem cells that are in a truly “blank state.” Instead, they have only been able to derive cells that have advanced slightly further down the developmental pathway and exhibit characteristics of differentiation into specific cell types. Researchers have rendered “reset cells” by rewiring the genetic circuitry in human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. The resulting cells share attributes of authentic naïve embryonic stem cells isolated from mice, suggesting that they represent the earliest stage of development.