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Researchers Create Mouse Using Pluripotent Cells

Posted on: Friday, 24 July 2009, 06:35 CDT

Scientists on Thursday announced the creation of mice from reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells.

Writing in the journal Nature, Dr. Shaorong Gao and colleagues from the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing, China said they used a new technique to make Xiao Xiao, or Tiny, as the first mouse ever created from reprogrammed adult pluripotent cells.

"This gives us hope for future therapeutic interventions," said Fanyi Zeng of the Shanghai Institute of Medical Genetic at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Scientists have long considered iPSC to be durable in developing into a wide variety of cell tissues, but until recently they had not been able to show the cells’ ability in mice injected with a blastocyst, or early embryo.

Until now, scientists had been unable to reach the “gold standard” test of pluripotency.

Gao and his colleagues used established methods to reprogram mouse cells to isolate five new iPSC lines, and then found that, using one of these lines, they were able to make by tetraploid complementation embryos that survived until birth, and one embryo that also survived to adulthood, according to a written statement.

"One line can generate such competent mice that the longest living one we have is nine months," Zeng told Reuters.

"It has generated now more than 100 of second-generation (mice) and more than 100 third-generation (mice). It really demonstrates how fertile and strong the system is."

"We are confident that tremendous good can come from demonstrating the versatility of reprogrammed cells in mice, and this research will be used to ... understand the root causes of disease and lead to viable treatments and cures of human afflictions," she added.

"It would not be ethical to attempt to use iPS cells in human reproduction. It is important for science to have ethical boundaries."

Xiao Xiao was the first of 27 mice to be created using the process.

Additionally, scientists have reported that one of the mice impregnated a female mouse to create a second-generation mouse, which are said to be in good health.

"The bottom line is... we confirm that iPS cell lines can attain true pluripotency... that was very similar to the ES [embryonic stem] cells," Zeng told reporters.

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On the Net:

• Nature
• National Institute of Biological Sciences
• Cell Stem Cell

Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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