In recent years, induced multifunctional stem cells obtained from reprogramming of animal fibroblasts have broken the limits of human understanding of cell immortality, i.e., somatic cells that had been thought to have ended up in differentiation can return to the superpower track of stem cells again. However, what I want to talk about in this article is not the stem cells themselves, but a small molecule —— vitamin C (vitamin C is also called L-ascorbic acid, a water-soluble vitamin) that is silently working behind them. The story started with a wise old German man named L. C. Pauling. One of the greatest chemists of the 20th century, he was twice awarded the Nobel Prize (in 1954 for chemistry and in 1962 for peace). In his opinion, vitamin C was an inexpensive drug that could treat the common cold and also reduce the risk of cancer, so he insisted on taking 3mg/day of vitamin C all year round until he passed away in 1994 at the age of 93. As time flies into the 21st century, the role of this vitamin C on colds and cancer has been controversial, and the mechanism of its effect on the metabolic network of human cells is also hidden. In December 2009, there was a sudden good news from the Guangzhou Institute of Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, that Professor Pei Duanqing, a famous overseas returnee scholar, and his group found that the efficiency of vitamin C on reprogramming animal body cells to stem cells was increased nearly 100 times. This increased the success rate of induced stem cells from 0.01% at the beginning to 1%, an amazing leap that will turn the field of stem cell research upside down. High concentrations of reactive oxygen species are bad for fibroblasts because they accelerate cell death,” explains Professor Pei. To combat reactive oxygen species, his group has tried to add various antioxidants to the growth medium of the cells. Experiments with mouse cells revealed that 30 percent more mouse cells were viable in dishes with vitamin C than in dishes without vitamin C, suggesting that this antioxidant can counteract cellular senescence.” This result was published in stem, a prestigious international journal, and became the cover article of the issue. In addition, Professor Pei is also studying other mechanisms of vitamin C’s effects on the human body, such as the p53 gene, which is related to cancer. I believe that in the near future, the mystery of vitamin C will finally be unveiled. Let’s wait and see if it’s a real miracle cure at a good price or an exaggerated fact.