Citrus surprise: Vitamin C boosts the reprogramming of adult cells into stem cel

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Citrus surprise: Vitamin C boosts the reprogramming of adult cells into stem

cells

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/cp-csv121709.php

Famous for its antioxidant properties and role in tissue repair, vitamin C is

touted as beneficial for illnesses ranging from the common cold to cancer and

perhaps even for slowing the aging process. Now, a study published online on

December 24th by Cell Press in the journal Cell Stem Cell uncovers an unexpected

new role for this natural compound: facilitating the generation of

embryonic-like stem cells from adult cells.

Over the past few years, we have learned that adult cells can be reprogrammed

into cells with characteristics similar to embryonic stem cells by turning on a

select set of genes. Although the reprogrammed cells, called induced pluripotent

stem cells (iPSCs), have tremendous potential for regenerative medicine, the

conversion is extremely inefficient.

" The low efficiency of the reprogramming process has hampered progress with this

technology and is indicative of how little we understand it. Further, this

process is most challenging in human cells, raising a significant barrier for

producing iPSCs and serious concerns about the quality of the cells that are

generated, " explains senior study author Dr. Duanqing Pei from the South China

Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the Guangzhou

Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Pei and colleagues measured the production of reactive oxygen species or ROS

during reprogramming and discovered a potential link between high ROS and low

reprogramming efficiency. They became particularly interested in antioxidants,

hypothesizing that they might suppress ROS and cell senescence, which seems to

be a major roadblock for the generation of iPSCs.

The researchers found that adding vitamin C, an essential nutrient that is

abundant in citrus fruits, enhanced iPSC generation from both mouse and human

cells. Vitamin C accelerated gene expression changes and promoted a more

efficient transition to the fully reprogrammed state. Somewhat to their

surprise, they found that other antioxidants do not have the same effect, but

vitamin C does seem to act at least in part through slowing cell senescence.

" Our results highlight a simple way to improve iPSC generation and provide

additional insight into the mechanistic basis of reprogramming, " concludes Dr.

Pei. " It is also of interest that a vitamin with long-suspected anti-aging

effects has such a potent influence on reprogramming, which can be considered a

reversal of the aging process at the cellular level. It is likely that our work

may stimulate further research in this area as well. "

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The researchers include Angel Esteban, South China Institute for Stem

Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and

Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Tao Wang, South China

Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes

of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China;

Baoming Qin, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative

Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of

Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Jiayin Yang, South China Institute for Stem Cell

Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and

Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Dajiang Qin, South China

Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes

of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China;

Jinglei Cai, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative

Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of

Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Wen Li1, Zhihui Weng, South China Institute for Stem

Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and

Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Su Ni, South China

Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes

of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Keshi

Chen, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine,

Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences,

Guangzhou, China; Yuan Li, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and

Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese

Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Xiaopeng Liu, South China Institute for

Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine

and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Jianyong Xu, South

China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou

Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou,

China; Shiqiang Zhang, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and

Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese

Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Feng Li, South China Institute for Stem

Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and

Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Wenzhi He1, Krystyna

Labuda, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Clinical and Experimental Traumatology,

Vienna, Austria, Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria,

Yancheng Song, Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria; Anja

bauer, Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria, Red Cross

Blood Transfusion Service of Upper Austria, Linz, Austria; ne Wolbank,

Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Clinical and Experimental Traumatology, Vienna,

Austria, Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria, Heinz Redl,

Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Clinical and Experimental Traumatology, Vienna,

Austria, Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria, Daozhang

Cai, Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria; Lingwen Zeng,

South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou

Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou,

China; and Duanqing Pei, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and

Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese

Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.