| 1 | canalcnio | Tissue damage is key for cell reprogramming | 2884 | 20 | 1 | 44.6 | neutral | 1:39 | Cellular reprogramming allows specialized cells, such as those forming most adult tissues, to revert to stem cells. Stem cells are much more versatile and therefore have the ability to generate cells with multiple functions. Reprogramming requires introducing a particular combination of four embryonic genes into the adult cells. This process has been widely studied in isolated cells in the lab, however, little is known about how it occurs in the body. Researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center in Madrid have observed that, when tissues are damaged or aged, they are much more susceptible to cellular reprogramming. Specifically, damaged cells activate alarm signals that favor the reprogramming of surrounding cells. Among the multiple signals sent by damaged cells, researchers have discovered that a previously known protein called interleukin-6 is essential for cellular reprogramming. This way, reprogrammed cells in the damaged tissue can generate the different specialized cells that are needed to restore the tissue. These advances have been published in the journal Science and could open new doors for the treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer's or diabetes and degenerative processes such as aging. | ↗ |