Reprogramming and genetically correcting stem cells can be achieved in as little as two weeks thanks to a new technique. This advance could offer potential therapies for individuals with a range of genetic disorders. Previous techniques to create stem cells from a patient’s tissue and reprogram the stem cell to remove a negative mutation took more than three months.
The researchers believe this will have immediate implications for future research in regenerative medicine, and could potentially advance transplant medicine by making gene-corrected cells available to patients quicker and at a lower cost.
The researchers wish to adapt the technique to work with blood samples to further reduce the time needed to create stem cells from specialized tissues.
Original research paper published in Stem Cell Reports on November 11, 2015.
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