{"id":2505,"date":"2014-09-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-09-10T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vermont.salk.edu\/news-release\/simple-method-turns-human-skin-cells-into-immune-fighting-white-blood-cells\/"},"modified":"2014-09-10T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-09-10T07:00:00","slug":"simple-method-turns-human-skin-cells-into-immune-fighting-white-blood-cells","status":"publish","type":"disclosure","link":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/zh\/news-release\/simple-method-turns-human-skin-cells-into-immune-fighting-white-blood-cells\/","title":{"rendered":"Simple method turns human skin cells into immune-fighting white blood cells"},"content":{"rendered":"

LA JOLLA\u2014For the first time, scientists have turned human skin cells into transplantable white blood cells, soldiers of the immune system that fight infections and invaders. The work, done at the Salk Institute, could let researchers create therapies that introduce into the body new white blood cells capable of attacking diseased or cancerous cells or augmenting immune responses against other disorders.<\/p>\n

\nThe work, as detailed in the journal Stem Cells<\/a><\/em>, shows that only a bit of creative manipulation is needed to turn skin cells into human white blood cells. <\/p>\n

\n“The process is quick and safe in mice,” says senior author Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte<\/a>, holder of Salk’s Roger Guillemin Chair. “It circumvents long-standing obstacles that have plagued the reprogramming of human cells for therapeutic and regenerative purposes.”<\/p>\n

\nThose problems includes the long time\u2014at least two months\u2014and tedious laboratory work it takes to produce, characterize and differentiate induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, a method commonly used to grow new types of cells. Blood cells derived from iPS cells also have other obstacles: an inability to engraft into organs or bone marrow and a likelihood of developing tumors.<\/p>\n

\nThe new method takes just two weeks, does not produce tumors, and engrafts well. <\/p>\n

\n“We tell skin cells to forget what they are and become what we tell them to be\u2014in this case, white blood cells,” says one of the first authors and Salk researcher Ignacio Sancho-Martinez. “Only two biological molecules are needed to induce such cellular memory loss and to direct a new cell fate.”<\/p>\n

\nBelmonte’s team developed the faster technique (called indirect lineage conversion) and previously demonstrated that these approaches could be used to produce human vascular cells, the ones that line blood vessels. Rather than reversing cells all the way back to a stem cell state before prompting them to turn into something else, such as in the case of iPS cells, the researchers “rewind” skin cells just enough to instruct them to form the more than 200 cell types that constitute the human body.<\/p>\n

\nThe technique demonstrated in this study uses a molecule called SOX2 to become somewhat plastic\u2014the stage of losing their “memory” of being a specific cell type. Then, researchers use a genetic factor called miRNA125b that tells the cells that they are actually white blood cells.<\/p>\n

\nThe researchers are now conducting toxicology studies and cell transplantation proof-of-concept studies in advance of potential preclinical and clinical studies. <\/p>\n

\n“It is fair to say that the promise of stem cell transplantation is now closer to realization,” Sancho-Martinez says.<\/p>\n

\nStudy co-authors include investigators from the Center of Regenerative Medicine<\/a> in Barcelona, Spain, and the Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Raras in Madrid, Spain.\n<\/p>\n


\nAbout the Salk Institute for Biological Studies:<\/strong>
\nThe Salk Institute for Biological Studies is one of the world’s preeminent basic research institutions, where internationally renowned faculty probes fundamental life science questions in a unique, collaborative, and creative environment. Focused both on discovery and on mentoring future generations of researchers, Salk scientists make groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of cancer, aging, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and infectious diseases by studying neuroscience, genetics, cell and plant biology, and related disciplines.\n<\/p>\n

\nFaculty achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including Nobel Prizes and memberships in the National Academy of Sciences. Founded in 1960 by polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk, MD, the Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","faculty":[85],"disease-research":[175,46,146,122],"class_list":["post-2505","disclosure","type-disclosure","status-publish","hentry","faculty-juan-carlos-izpisua-belmonte","disease-research-blood-cancer","disease-research-cancer-biology","disease-research-aging-and-regenerative-medicine","disease-research-immune-system-biology"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSimple method turns human skin cells into immune-fighting white blood cells - Salk Institute for Biological Studies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/zh\/news-release\/simple-method-turns-human-skin-cells-into-immune-fighting-white-blood-cells\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"zh_CN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Simple method turns human skin cells into immune-fighting white blood cells - Salk Institute for Biological Studies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"LA JOLLA\u2014For the first time, scientists have turned human skin cells into transplantable white blood cells, soldiers of the immune system that fight infections and invaders. 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