Techniques

Our organs and tissues are made up of three main components: fluid, cells, and extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM serves as an attachment point for cells, provides structural organization, and gives mechanical strength to the tissue. It is highly complex and highly organized, and it is made up of components specific to each organ. Decellularization perfuses the tissue with a series of detergents that wash away the cells and leave behind the structural components of the ECM.
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Drs. Takahashi and Yamanaka showed that they could use Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) to reprogram cells back to pluripotent, embryonic stem cells. While this discovery showed that cellular identity and aging could be reset with just four reprogramming factors, it causes cells to forget their functions and organs. However, exposure to reprogramming factors for just long enough can reverse the age of a cell without erasing its identity. This is the basis of partial cellular reprogramming.
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