Dedifferentiation? What's next?

Abstract

Not so fast! Several things need to be considered before we conclude that Chen et al. have a dedifferentiating agent on their hands. The verification of small molecules as tissue- or cell-type dedifferentiating agents will require greatly sophisticated techniques and the identification of the direct molecular targets of said small molecules. By knowing what pitfalls to avoid, intelligent small-molecule design and testing may proceed more expediently.