English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Both embryonic and somatic stem cells have attracted many scientists’ interest as they appear to be ideal candidates for cell therapy to treat various degenerative diseases and tissue injury for which there are no cures available. However, during the last few years, extensive amount of publications have focused on somatic cell reprogramming, a reversal of cell fate from a mature differentiated state to an undifferentiated state or directly to that of progenitors or mature cells of a different cell type. The advantage of that strategy is to obtain an autologous source of cells, which when differentiated and/or transplanted will not be rejected by the recipients. Several strategies have been applied for reprogramming purpose, including somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), somatic-stem cell fusion, cell-free extract treatment and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) generation. As a model for studying nuclear reprogramming, cell-cell fusion has been studied since the 1970’s. Recent observations demonstrate that transplanted stem cells can differentiate into multiple cell types in vivo and have brought investigators to a new stage for applying cell fusion to regenerative therapies, cherishing the idea that fusion-based reprogramming may possess more potential than the original belief. In this chapter, we have briefly discussed the current progress of somatic cell reprogramming induced by cell fusion. In our lab, using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human fetal fibroblasts (HFFs) as fusion candidates, we have compared the fusion efficiency in vitro using different methods and successfully generated hybrid cells. Research publications to date suggest that cell fusion between stem cells and somatic cells may restore regenerative capacity of terminally differentiated cells and can be applied for transplantation and cell therapy. However, certain aspects of disadvantages cannot be neglected. The limitations of cell fusion based reprogramming includes the presence of stem cell nuclei in the hybrid cells, the possibility of causing immune-rejection and the genetic instability of hybrid cells. Insights of both pros and cons have been described in this chapter and we conclude that reprogramming induced by cell fusion can be achieved at different efficiencies when using various fusion methods in vitro. The hybrid cells show ESC-like properties with double nuclear content. More detailed studies will be needed to remove ESC nuclei before these cells can be used for clinical purposes.

Reprogramming Somatic Cells by Fusion with Embryonic Stem Cells: Present Status and Prospects in Regenerative Medicine