Recreating stem cells: a novel entrance to the fountain of youth.
Differentiated cells can be reprogrammed to form pluripotent embryonic stem cell-like cells by ectopic expression of four transcription factors. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Liu et al. (2009) demonstrate that a similar transition can be achieved by culturing retinoblastoma-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts in suspension.
te Riele
Hein
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Division of Molecular Biology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. h.t.riele@nki.nl