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A new reprogramming model paves the way for the study of pluripotent stem cells

30.05.2023

Published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Communications, the study entitled Cellular population dynamics shape the route to human pluripotency, is realized by the research group under Nicola Elvassore. As the Scientific Director of the Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM) and Professor at the University of Padua, Nicola Elvassore jointly supervised the work along with Davide Cacchiarelli - Head of the Armenise/Harvard Laboratory of Integrated Genomics at the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM) and Professor at the University of Naples Federico II.

Thanks to laboratory experience in the reproduction of micro-organs and miniaturized in vitro models on a microfluidic basis, the research group under Nicola Elvassore generated a new model of cellular reprogramming – a process by which it is possible to “artificially” generate pluripotent stem cells starting from adult somatic cells quickly and more efficiently.

The discovery and study of reprogramming, and how the process takes place, offers great progress in the field of cellular engineering.  This work makes it possible to model and transform the identity of cells into induced pluripotent cells (iPSCs). While this constitutes an invaluable resource in the field of regenerative medicine, it also drives the potential to differentiate the tissues that make up our body. Furthermore, iPSCs are widely used in research as they allow for in-depth study of the early stages of embryonic development and as a model for the study of various pathologies.