机器之心报道 机器之心编辑部 AI 加速科学和药物研发，已经不是什么新鲜事，但它的潜力远未被完全释放。 就在刚刚过去的一天，OpenAI 宣布他们与生物科技初创公司 Retro Bio 合作，研发的新模型 GPT-4b micro ，设计出了新型且显著增强的山中因子变体。 山中因子是一组蛋白质，由诺奖得主、日本科学家山中伸弥在 2006 年提出，其包括 Oct4、Sox2、Klf4 和 c - Myc4 种因子，又称 OSKM。当它们被添加到人类皮 肤细胞中时，会使其转变为看似年轻的干细胞，这种干细胞可以分化成体内任何其他组织。Retro 认为，这一现象可能是实现构建人体器官或提供替代细胞的起 点。 然而，山中因子也存在一个重大局限：重编程效率极低，它需要数周时间，而且在实验室培养皿中，只有不到 1% 的细胞能够完成再生之旅。这意味着在实际应用 中，只有极少数细胞能够成功被重编程，这大大限制了其在临床和科研上的推广与应用价值。 OpenAI 与 Retro Bio 团队借助 GPT-4b micro，一起设计出山中因子新变体 ，与标准 OSKM 蛋白相比，这些因子在体外的重编程效率提高了 50 倍，这是一项突 ...

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the innovative use of lotus root as a natural biomaterial for bone and skin wound healing, highlighting its potential in regenerative medicine and its advantages over traditional materials like bone cement [1][3][9]. Group 1: Lotus Root as a Biomaterial - Lotus root is identified as a high-strength composite material with a natural porous structure, making it suitable for bone repair [3][4]. - Research indicates that using lotus root as a bone repair material significantly accelerates the healing process in animal models compared to control groups [3][13]. - The lotus root scaffold promotes the growth of new blood vessels and nerves, enhancing the microenvironment for bone healing [6][9]. Group 2: Production and Processing - The production of lotus root biomaterials involves simple processes such as freeze-drying and mineralization, which reduce immunogenicity and enhance strength [9][10]. - After processing, the strength of lotus root materials is comparable to human bone, making it a viable alternative to bone cement [9][10]. Group 3: Experimental Validation - Experiments on mice with cranial bone defects showed that lotus root scaffolds led to a healing rate of approximately 50%, significantly higher than untreated controls [13][14]. - Future studies are planned to test the effectiveness of lotus root scaffolds in larger animal models, such as sheep, to address larger bone defects in humans [14][16]. Group 4: Broader Research Initiatives - The research team is also exploring other food materials like frozen tofu and goji berries for their potential applications in biomedical engineering [17]. - The emphasis is on utilizing natural materials to inspire new biomaterials, reflecting a trend towards biomimicry in material science [17]. Group 5: Stem Cell Research - The Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health has made significant advancements in stem cell research, particularly in obtaining induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) from human urine [19][20]. - This method is non-invasive and quick, with potential applications in generating functional blood cells for therapeutic purposes [21].