Stem cell discovery could catalyze research, UCI says

UCI researchers have opened a doorway to making stem cell use possibly 100 times more efficient, university officials said Friday.

Researchers discovered a new method to insert DNA into cells, which decreases the chance of cells dying after insertion.

In the past, chemicals were used to put DNA in cells, but the new method makes tiny holes in the outer layer of a cell, which allows DNA to enter smoothly.

Using what they call growth factor/nucleofection, researchers estimate for every one altered cell with the chemical method, they could create 10 to 100 successfully.

“This is a stepping stone for bigger things to come,” said Kristi Hohenstein, a scientist part of professor Peter Donovan’s lab team.

According to researchers, the discovery could help develop treatments for monogenic diseases — Huntington’s disease, sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis — which are the result of modifications to a single gene occurring in all cells of the body. The diseases are rare, officials say, but affect millions worldwide.

— Daniel Tedford