Biological process

The process in which a specialized cell loses the structural or functional features that characterize it in the mature organism, or some other relatively stable phase of the organism's life history. Under certain conditions, these cells can revert back to the features of the stem cells that were their ancestors.

Note that this term should be used to annotate gene products involved in dedifferentiation that occurs as part of a normal process, such as regeneration. It should not be used for dedifferentiation that occurs in an abnormal or disease state such as cancer.