Future plans include utilizing engineered proteins for conservation efforts and improving the quality of stem cells for therapeutic use.

Professor Ralf Jauch leads the team, aiming to utilize engineered proteins for various applications, including regenerative medicine and species conservation.

Researchers successfully reconstructed an ancient protein called 'Ur-SOX' from choanoflagellates, showing that it can induce pluripotency in mouse cells, akin to modern SOX proteins.

This research challenges traditional views on the exclusivity of animal genes in stem cell development, suggesting that evolutionary tools can inspire new therapeutic designs.

The insights from this study may streamline disease modeling and advance stem cell research towards innovative treatments and management strategies.

These findings have significant implications for regenerative medicine and addressing health challenges associated with aging.

This collaborative research effort, led by HKUMed, Queen Mary University of London, and the Max Planck Institute, demonstrates that key stem cell genes previously thought to be unique to animals also exist in ancient single-celled organisms.

A groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications reveals that ancient genes, over 700 million years old, can convert mouse somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells, challenging existing beliefs about stem cell biology.

Professor Ralf Jauch emphasized that 'Ur-SOX' serves as a preadaptation, proving that molecular tools from unicellular life can effectively reprogram cells into pluripotent stem cells.

The findings highlight the evolutionary significance of stem cells, suggesting they were crucial in the emergence of multicellular life forms by enabling self-replication and differentiation into specialized cell types.

The ability of ancient SOX proteins to induce pluripotency presents new potential for enhancing cell transformation methods for therapeutic applications.

The research opens pathways for creating engineered proteins that enhance stem cell generation, aiding in disease modeling and regenerative medicine applications.