IRVINE, Calif., March 10 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have developed a dramatically improved method for genetically manipulating human embryonic stem cells.
The University of California-Irvine researchers said their findings will make it easier for scientists to study and potentially treat thousands of disorders, including Huntington's disease, muscular dystrophy and diabetes.
They said the technique, for the first time, blends two existing cell-handling methods to improve cell survival rates and increase the efficiency of inserting DNA into cells. The new approach is up to 100 times more efficient than current methods at producing human embryonic stem cells with desired genetic alterations.
"The ability to generate large quantities of cells with altered genes opens the door to new research into many devastating disorders," said Professor Peter Donovan,
"Not only will it allow us to study diseases more in-depth, it also could be a key step in the successful development of future stem cell therapies."
The study that included UCI Assistant Adjunct Professor Leslie Lock and researcher Kristi Hohenstein; April Pyle of UCLA; and Jing Yi Chern of Johns Hopkins University is detailed in the online edition of the journal Stem Cells.
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