近日，来自中国科学院、深圳华大生命科学研究院等研究团队，通过体细胞诱导培养出了类似受精卵发育3天状态的人类全能干细胞。这是继科学家成功诱导出人类多能干细胞后，再生医学领域的又一重大突破。

 

An international team led by Chinese scientists has successfully produced the youngest human cells in vitro, which may pave the way for advances in organ regeneration.

一个由中国科学家领衔的国际研究团队成功在体外培养出全球“最年轻”的人类细胞，该成果将助力实现未来人体器官的体外再生。

 

The study published Tuesday in the journal Nature announced the discovery of a rapid, controllable method to convert stem cells into bona fide 8-cell embryo-like cells, without relying on genetic¹ engineering.

研究者们开发了一种非转基因、快速且可控的方法，能够将人的干细胞转化为全能性的8细胞期胚胎样细胞。相关研究成果于北京时间3月22日凌晨在国际学术期刊《自然》（Nature）上发表。

 

A team of researchers from China, Britain and Bangladesh converted pluripotent stem cells, or an "adult" version of early embryonic² cells, back to a more "juvenile³" version of cells with developmental potential, tantamount to fertilized⁴ eggs in their Day 3 developmental stage.

由中国、英国和孟加拉国的科学家组成的研究团队将人类多能干细胞，即“成年”版本的早期胚胎细胞，转化成具有发育潜力的、更“年轻”的干细胞 ，即相当于受精卵发育3天状态的全能干细胞。

 

Totipotent 8-cell stage embryo-like cells recreate the embryonic state of a fertilized egg after only three divisions, making them the youngest human cells acquired in vitro ever known, said Li Wenjuan, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who is one of the corresponding authors of the paper.

中国科学院广州生物医药与健康研究院的李文娟博士表示，这些全能性的8细胞期胚胎样细胞重建了受精卵仅分裂3次后的胚胎状态，这是迄今为止在体外诱导获得的“最年轻”的人类细胞。

 

Cells described as "totipotent" mean that they have the potential to create all types of cells within embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues, according to the researchers.

据介绍，全能性细胞意味着它们有潜力分化出胚胎和胚胎外组织中所有类型的细胞。

 

"These cells can not only differentiate⁵ into placental tissue but also potentially develop into more mature organs," Li said.

李文娟博士说，这种细胞可以分化为胎盘组织，并可能发育为更成熟的各类身体组织。

 

Ethical⁶ review had given clearance⁷ to the relevant study.

该研究已通过伦理审查。

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