The technique used to reprogram the cells in this way mimicked the regeneration of animals such as newts and salamanders.
The success of the study gives hope to the idea that one day patients suffering from diseases such as heart failure or Parkinson's will be able to be treated using drugs which regenerate damaged heart and brain cells using a patient's own cell tissue.
Despite the controversial nature of synthetic biology and the manipulation of human genomes, the scientists believe use of a patient's own cell tissue for the treatment of a disease remains a potentially highly efficient, safe and reliable method of treatment for diseases currently outside of the power of current medicine.