Pig Connective Tissues Transformed into Stem Cells
Researchers at the University of Missouri have developed a method for creating stem cells from fetal-pig fibroblasts, with the hope of creating an animal model stem-cell culture for therapy research.
The fibroblasts (connective tissues) are injected with genes that make fibroblasts act like stem cells, dividing into many if not all of the 250 types of cells found in an adult pig. The proper name for these “fake” stem cells is “induced pluripotent stem cells.”
“Now that we have been able to turn regular cells into stem cells, we need to learn how to make the right type of tissue and then test putting that new tissue back into the animal,” said R. Michael Roberts, Curator's Professor of Animal Science and Biochemistry and a researcher in the Bond Life Sciences Center, in a press release.
Stem-cell research has been a controversial subject because of the use of embryos and cloning in the obtaining of such cells. Using pig fibroblasts avoids these issues. The researchers also note that pigs are better models than mice for research on long-term effects because of their longer life spans.
