Gurdon J B, Melton D A
Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute and Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 12N, UK.
Science. 2008 Dec 19;322(5909):1811-5. doi: 10.1126/science.1160810.
Nuclear reprogramming describes a switch in gene expression of one kind of cell to that of another unrelated cell type. Early studies in frog cloning provided some of the first experimental evidence for reprogramming. Subsequent procedures included mammalian somatic cell nuclear transfer, cell fusion, induction of pluripotency by ectopic gene expression, and direct reprogramming. Through these methods it becomes possible to derive one kind of specialized cell (such as a brain cell) from another, more accessible, tissue (such as skin) in the same individual. This has potential applications for cell replacement without the immunosuppression treatments that are required when cells are transferred between genetically different individuals. This article provides some background to this field, a discussion of mechanisms and efficiency, and comments on prospects for future nuclear reprogramming research.
核重编程描述了一种细胞的基因表达向另一种不相关细胞类型的转变。青蛙克隆的早期研究提供了一些最早的重编程实验证据。后续方法包括哺乳动物体细胞核移植、细胞融合、通过异位基因表达诱导多能性以及直接重编程。通过这些方法，有可能从同一个体中另一种更容易获取的组织（如皮肤）中获得一种特殊细胞（如脑细胞）。这对于细胞替代具有潜在应用价值，而无需在基因不同的个体之间转移细胞时所需的免疫抑制治疗。本文提供了该领域的一些背景知识，讨论了机制和效率，并对未来核重编程研究的前景进行了评论。
