Reversine Causes Cell Regression

Investigators at the Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA, USA; www.scripps.edu) reported in the December 19, 2003, online edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society that muscle cells growing in tissue culture reverted to multipotent precursor cells (stem cells) after treatment with the compound reversine. The effect of reversine on these mammalian cells may be similar to the situation in lower animals that are able to regenerate limbs or tails that have been severed or to that in the liver, the only human organ capable of regeneration.

"This has the potential to make stem cell research more practical,” explained senior author Dr. Sheng Ding, assistant professor of chemistry at the Scripps Research Institute. "This will allow you to derive stem-like cells from your own mature cells, avoiding the technical and ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cells. This may ultimately facilitate development of small molecule therapeutics for stimulating the body's own regeneration.”




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