Scientists Create Blood From Skin Cells

In Singapore, reasearchers were able to artificially generate new mouse blood from skin cells. It is an achievement that is sigificant as the first step toward engineering new human blood cells from other artificial sources.

In a press release via ANC News Wire, it was noted that among the major challenges in regenerative medicine is to manufacture new blood and immune cells for those who are in need of these. This breakthrough could help medical care professionals find a more robust source of new blood or immune cells to help treat patients with immune disorders or other similar diseases, as well as those who require blood transfusions.

This is not the first time that scientists attempted to generate new mouse blood cells from skin cells; however, previous results could last only two weeks once injected back to the mice. The new research proved that it can last longer, up to a few months.

The study, which was published in the journal Nature Communications, identified a cocktail of four factors that helped convert mouse skin into different types of blood cells. These factors, which are normally active in blood cells, were introduced into skin cells, so that they can artificially "rewrite" said cells to adopt features of the blood cells that they are supposed to turn into.

Dr. Cheng Hui, the first author of the study, noted that while skin cells and blood cells are very different in face value, scientists have been interested in "rewriting" cell identity. GIS Executive Director Prof. Ng Huck Hui also noted that, "This development could be a potential game-changer for regenerative medicine. If researchers are able to extend what they did with the mice to human cells in the foreseeable future, it can translate into tangible benefits for the patients in need."

If proven safe and effective, Nature World News noted that medical practitioners can finally get a robust source of new blood or immune cells for patients suffering from immune disorders as well as those in need of blood transfusions.