It appears that the state of pluripotency is not necessary to achieve a given type. It is at least what has been demonstrated in a study published today in Nature.

A team of researchers from Stanford University in California, has successfully transformed murine skin cells into nerve cells functioning with the application of only three genes. These cells have not previously had to become stem cells, the previous step for cells to acquire a new identity. In this way, as do not have to revert to this state prevents the teratogenic effect. Marius Wernig’s team published the results of their work today in Nature, which shows that only three factors, Ascl1, Brn2 (also called Pou3f2) and Myt1l, can become postnatal human fibroblasts and murine embryonic cells into functioning neurons in vitro.

This group has used a panel of 19 genes that are involved in epigenetic reprogramming in neuronal development and function, up to three required for reprogramming. They then applied the procedure in skin cells and mouse tail. They noted that about 20 percent of skin cells transformed into neurons in less than a week. “At first it seems a quick change, but is a major advance on the iPS, which takes several weeks. In addition, the iPS process is inefficient, because normally only between 1 and 2 per cent of the original cells become pluripotent, “he pointed Wernig. More