'Land of the ever-young' gene reprogrammes cells

University of Edinburgh scientists have discovered that the “ever-young” gene Nanog can cause adult cells to switch back to an embryonic state. The finding, to be published in the prestigious journal Nature, is the first to show that a specific gene affects the reprogramming of a mature cell type into a naïve state. The Edinburgh team believe this is a promising step towards understanding how to promote regeneration of damaged tissues and organs using a person’s own cells.