Key points from article :
Using patient’s own cells to create iPSCs is difficult as some cells are resistant to reprogramming.
Stem cells from other sources face attack by the immune system.
CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing used to create pluripotent universal stem cells.
Deleted two major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes.
These proteins show immune cells that they are not foreign matter.
Also added additional copies of the CD47 gene to keep macrophages at bay.
No reaction from their immune systems when human cells transplanted into mice.
Heart cells also able to survive and form blood vessels in new hosts.
Research led by Dr. Sonja Schrepfer at UC San Francisco.
The study was published in Nature Biotechnology.
