Canadian scientists turn skin cells into blood cells

[Chris]

Patients could be treated with blood made from their own skin after a startling breakthough by scientists.
The prospect of ‘growing your own blood’ may mean the end of the need for endless donations by strangers to keep supplies topped up.
Scientists found that by injecting skin cells with DNA proteins and a cocktail of molecules they could turn them into blood cells.
It means that patients needing transfusions – such as those with cancer and leukaemia – could be given perfectly matched blood, with no risk of infection.
The Canadian research has been described as ‘fantastic’ by British experts, who said the discovery could save hundreds of lives.

Need some blood? Soon you could grow your own as British scientists hail skin-cell breakthrough | Mail Online

 

[Chris]

A patch of skin the size of a fingernail could potentially produce enough blood for an entire transfusion, researchers say.

 

[jimbetty123]

ollowing up on the cell-reprogramming breakthroughs of the last four years, a team of scientists at McMaster University in Canada has succeeded in turning human skin into blood directly. Many previous reprogramming experiments have involved turning adult cells, such as skin or blood, into something similar to embryonic stem cells.

Reporting in the journal Nature, the McMaster researchers said the finding could one day allow doctors to create blood for patients by taking a patch of skin and reprogramming it. The technique could help patients who have blood conditions or are undergoing surgery or cancer treatment.

The scientists induced the skin cells to change by turning on the Oct4 gene and treating the cells with protein molecules called cytokines.

They were able to repeat their results several times using the skin of both young and old people.

"We have shown this works using human skin. We know how it works and believe we can even improve on the process," said Mick Bhatia, scientific director of McMaster's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute. "We'll now go on to work on developing other types of human cell types from skin, as we already have encouraging evidence."

In 2008, scientists at Harvard accomplished a similar feat, turning a pancreatic cell that does not make insulin into one that does. The new study shows that a cell can be changed not only into a close relative but also into a completely different kind.

 

[Warrior102]

The Canadians finally invented something?
Amazing...

 

[Star]

The Canadians finally invented something?
Amazing...

This story was news about a year and a half ago -- why are you amazed by it now, is there a new development?