Scientists from Osaka University have developed a way to obtain dog stem cells from urine. It is 120 times more efficient than traditional methods and will allow the development of treatment for many incurable diseases of dogs and cats. The research was published in the journal Stem Cell Reports.
It is difficult to reprogram dogs’ somatic cells (mature body cells) into stem cells. One way to solve the problem is to use a different type of cell grown along with the dog cells to make it easier for them to turn into stem cells. This approach carries risks associated with the dogs’ immune response. The new method solved this problem.
Scientists have identified six genes that can increase the amount of canine stem cells obtained by approximately 120-fold compared to traditional methods. The authors showed that it is possible to obtain stem cells from connective tissue cells (fibroblasts) isolated from urine. The developed method is simple and painless. Additionally, the researchers were able to obtain canine stem cells without feeder cells, which was previously impossible.
“There are still many diseases that cannot be cured or are not fully understood. In the future, I plan to continue research on the differentiation of canine stem cells into various cell types and use them to treat sick dogs, which I hope will bring joy to many animals and their owners,” said Professor Shingo Hatoya, author of the study.
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