The technology of reprogramming ordinary cells into stem cells could be used in the future for rejuvenation and prevention of aging, said Elizaveta Evgenyeva, a geneticist at Tyumen Medical University (TMU), to TASS.

The method of induced pluripotent stem cells was developed by Japanese scientists led by Shinya Yamanaka. Using a set of transcription factors, somatic cells are reprogrammed to a state similar to embryonic stem cells.

Fibroblasts from the skin can be used as initial cells – after reprogramming, they are capable of transforming into any type of cell in the body.

Currently, the technology is used to a limited extent in medicine, particularly for treating certain hereditary eye diseases. In the future, it could be used to prevent aging, but widespread implementation is still a long way off.