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Reprogramming Normal Cell Lines into Stem-like Cells

Reporter: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN

More information: “Actin stress in cell reprogramming.” PNAS 2014 111 (49) E5252-E5261; published ahead of print November 24, 2014, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1411683111

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-12-mechanical-cues-reprogram-cell-lines.html#jCp

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http://phys.org/news/2014-12-mechanical-cues-reprogram-cell-lines.html

Mechanical cues reprogram normal cell lines into stem-like cells

Dec 11, 2014 by Ellen Goldbaum

Scientists at the University at Buffalo and other institutions have turned cells normally used as model cells, known as immortalized cells, into stem or, as they call it, “stem-like” cells, using nothing more than mechanical stress. They have done it without employing the potentially hazardous techniques previously used to obtain similar results.

The finding is described in a paper published recently online before print in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers discovered that by changing the mechanical stresses on neuronal and other cell types in tissue culture allowed them to be reprogrammed into “stem-like” cells.

“Normal cell types in tissue culture are spread out and have differentiated internal structures, but changing cell mechanics caused the cells to turn into clusters of spherical cells that had many of the biochemical markers of cells,” says Frederick Sachs, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the UB Department of Physiology and Biophysics and senior author.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-12-mechanical-cues-reprogram-cell-lines.html#jCp