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Taking one type of cell and transforming it into another type is now possible. Cells taken from the thymus have been transformed into skin cells -- a discovery that may have important ramifications for the field of organ regeneration.
The findings, published on the 19th of August in Nature, show that these stem cells change their genetic make-up according to their environment to contribute to the long-term functioning of the skin, even producing hair for up to a year after implantation. In collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, UK, the Swiss research team with European colleagues isolated thymic epithelial cells (TECs)-taken from the thymus of a rat-and integrated them into the rat's skin cells with surprising results.
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