Dr. Iqbal Ahmad

In the first proof of principle that somatic cells can be turned into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) through the influence of a microenvironment, Iqbal Ahmad, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, was able to reprogram cells of a rat’s cornea into neurons.  What actually accounted for this transformation in the culture medium is not known, but “by reprogramming progenitor eye cells to resemble stem cells, they acquired the properties necessary to replace or restore neurons, cardiomyocytes, and hepatocytes.”   MORE

Image Credit:  University of Nebraska Medical Center