Induced pluripotent stem cells

Principal Investigator: Karen Sermon

Post-doctoral researcher: Claudia Spits

PhD student: Anna Seriola

Introduction

At the end of 2007, a number of articles were published on the reprogramming of somatic cells. The groups of Takahashi and Yu described that e.g. dermal fibroblasts could be induced to become pluripotent cells (iPSC), which showed many characteristics of human embryonic stem cells, simply by transfection of four key genes. These iPSC could thus prove better sources than human embryonic stem cells for regenerative medicine, because the patient's own cells could be used without danger of immunological rejection. Moreover, ethical concerns surrounding the destruction of preimplantation embryos would not be valid anymore.

Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go before this methodology is clinically useful: one of the transfected genes (c-Myc) was implicated in the occurrence of tumours in mice generated from iPSC. Moreover, the use of inserting vectors such as retro- or lentiviruses represent a danger in itself. The development of methods that use non-inserting vectors, or even purely biochemical methods, are in order.

Our project has the following aims:

  • Implementation of standard methodology to obtain iPSC
  • Development of new methods for the obtention of iPSC
  • Comparison of (epi)genetic stability between iPSC and human embryonic stem cells
  • Establishment of IPSC lines using cells carrying dynamic mutations (such as myotonic dystrophy, Huntington's disease or fragile X syndrome)
  • Study the validity of these cells as research models for these mutations

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Department of Embryology and Genetics • ©2009 • http://emge.vub.ac.be
VUB • Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy • Laarbeeklaan 103 • B-1090 Brussel, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 477 46 35 • secremge@vub.ac.be
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