Guwahati, August 16: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) have reported a method to convert regular human skin cells into pluripotent stem cells, which can be programmed to develop into any other form of an adult cell type.
Pluripotent stem cells, also called Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs), hold potential in stem cell therapy for the treatment of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, paralysis and Alzheimer’s.
The research has been carried out under the leadership of Rajkumar Thummer, assistant professor, department of biosciences and bioengineering, IIT-G, in collaboration with scientists from Christian Medical College, Vellore.
The research paper has been published in the journal, Stem Cell Research, authored by Khyati Raina, Gaurav Joshi, Kirti Modak, Chitra Premkumar, Sweety Priyanka, Praveena Rajesh, Shaji Velayudhan and Rajkumar Thummer.
Explaining the basics of stem cells, Thummer said, “The human body is made of various kinds of cells – nerve cells, heart cells, liver cells and pancreatic cells, with unique structures and functions. All these distinctive cells originate from stem cells to perform a specific function. Lack of any of this cell type in a human body will result in a disease or disorder. Thus, stem cells can be programmed to develop into mature functional cells, which can be used to replace damaged cells.”
Stem cells have to be extracted from embryos or parts of the adult human body like the brain or bone marrow, which is challenging from both ethical and practical aspects. Thus, scientists are exploring techniques to convert ordinary cells, like skin or blood cells, into pluripotent stem cells.
The most important advantage of iPSCs is their potential to produce patient-specific cells which can be transplanted to the site of injury or the site of tissue degeneration owing to various disease conditions, and thereby, eliminate any chance of immune rejection.
Thummer and his colleagues have used a safe, integration-free method, and have introduced genes into skin cells to transform them into iPSCs.
Reportedly, the iPSCs produced by the IITG and CMC researchers were versatile, maintained their genetic makeup well, and could potentially differentiate into a range of body cell types.
Highlighting the research work, Thummer said, “This achievement is a testament to the determination and endurance of our team. By generating iPSCs in Guwahati, we have opened up new opportunities for researchers to contribute to stem cell research.”
Given the importance and potential of stem cells, the central government actively supports stem cell research through the department of health research-Indian Council of Medical Research (DHR-ICMR).