Health · Medical Research · 2 hrs ago
Researchers Turn Donor Blood Cells Into Younger Neural Stem Cells
Researchers in Germany converted blood-cell precursors into neural stem cells using a method that changes one cell type directly into another.
The team used cells from 15 donors ranging from newborns to age 101.
They delivered two gene-regulating proteins into the cells using a virus, and the cells began showing neural characteristics by day 12.
The researchers tracked epigenetic age, a measure based on age-related changes to DNA, and found it fell after conversion.
Over 50 to 100 days, the cells’ measured epigenetic age reached about 5 percent of the donor’s age, with most age-related traits resetting by around day 50.
These stem cells can develop into some types of brain cells, including neurons, but the findings concern cells grown in the lab; no further steps are stated.
Researchers at the University Hospital of Bonn and the University of Bonn directly converted donor blood-cell precursors into induced neural stem cells.
The cells came from 15 donors ranging in age from newborn to 101 years.
The researchers reported that the converted cells’ epigenetic age continued to decrease as the cells grew in the laboratory.
After about 50 days, most age-related epigenetic traits had reset, and the cells reached about 5 percent of their donors’ age.
The study was described in the journal Aging Cell.
- Who
- Researchers from the University Hospital of Bonn and the University of Bonn carried out the work.
- What
- They directly converted blood-cell precursors into induced neural stem cells and tracked changes in the cells’ epigenetic age.
- When
- The findings were published on 20 October 2026.
- Where
- The research was conducted by institutions in Bonn, Germany.
- Why
- The researchers examined whether direct conversion could rejuvenate cells.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The cells began showing neural-like proteins and losing blood-like proteins.
The majority of epigenetic age-related traits had reset.
The induced neural stem cells continued to de-age, eventually reaching about 5 percent of the donor age.
- Donors
- 15 people, from newborn to 101 years old
- Starting cells
- Erythroid progenitor cells
- Resulting cells
- Induced neural stem cells
- Conversion method
- A virus delivered two transcription factors
- Reported epigenetic age
- About 5 percent of donor age after 50 to 100 days
What people are saying
Using this method, we have directly converted red blood cell precursors into neural stem cells