Outlining Some of the Science Behind Partial Reprogramming at Turn.bio

Turn.bio is an early venture in the new field of in vivo cellular reprogramming, though it is unclear as to whether the partial reprogramming approach they are taking will eventually be used directly in patients, versus in cell cultures prior to transplantation for cell therapy. The publicity materials here cover some of the work undertaken by one of the scientific founders of Turn.bio in recent years, including the transplantation of partially reprogrammed muscle cells into old mice to restore muscle function. Cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells via expression of a small number of genes - the Yamanaka factors. When applied to old cells, this process has been shown to produce numerous beneficial effects along the way. In cells from old tissues it resets many of the epigenetic changes characteristic of aging, and restores mitochondrial function, for example. So while reprogramming most likely cannot meaningfully address issues such as nuclear DNA damage or accumulated molecular waste that cannot be effectively broken down, even by young cells, it may prove to be a useful basis for therapies to treat aging. This is all a fairly straightforward proposition when applied to cells outside the body and intended for transplantation. When considering in vivo use, however, the challenge lies in reprogramming to a sufficient degree to produce these benefits, versus reprogramming too much, to the point at which tissue is disrupted and cancer arises. The Tu...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs