Vitamin C Boosts the Reprogramming of Adult Cells into Stem Cells

Reprogrammed cells are known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). However, the conversion process is extremely inefficient and quality of generated cells is a concern. Duanqing Pei from the South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), and colleagues employed vitamin C, Known best for its antioxidant properties and role in tissue repair, to facilitate the generation of embryonic-like stem cells from adult cells.  The researchers measured the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during reprogramming and discovered a potential link between high ROS and low reprogramming efficiency. They became particularly interested in antioxidants, hypothesizing that they might suppress ROS and cell senescence, and found that adding vitamin C enhanced iPSC generation by accelerating gene expression changes and promoting a more efficient transition to the fully reprogrammed state. The team determined that other antioxidants do not have the same effect, but vitamin C does seem to act at least in part through slowing cell senescence. The team reports that: “Adding vitamin C converts pre-iPSCs to iPSCs;  Vitamin C alleviates the senescence roadblock to reprogramming; and Human iPSC generation is also improved by vitamin C.”