Researchers get embryonic stem cells from skin
Sun Dec 23, 2007 3:16pm EST
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A third team of researchers has
found a way to convert an ordinary skin cell into
valued embryonic-like stem cells, with the potential
to grow batches of cells that can be directed to form
any kind of tissue.
Their study, published on Sunday in the journal
Nature, shows the approach is not a rare fluke but in
fact something that might make its way into everyday
use.
Scientists hope they are starting an age of
regenerative medicine, in which people can get
tailor-made treatments for injuries, diseases such as
Parkinson's and diabetes, and in which scientists can
study disease far better than before.
Dr. George Daley of Harvard Medical School and
Children's Hospital Boston and colleagues got their
skin cells from a volunteer, whereas the other two
teams of researchers who have accomplished the feat
got theirs from commercially available cells grown in
labs -- a seemingly small difference, but one Daley
says shows it is feasible to get cells from any
volunteer.
"Ours is the only group to go from skin biopsy to cell
line," Daley said in a statement.
They said they are now working to generate the
so-called induced pluripotent stem cell or iPS cells
to match a variety of diseases.
Daley cautioned the approach is not ready to test in
people. The researchers use viruses called
retroviruses to carry in four genes that transform the
skin calls back into their primitive and malleable
state.
And when injected into mice, the human iPS cells often
formed tumors. Daley's team is afraid this method
might cause cancer or other unforeseen problems in
human beings.
They also reprogrammed mesenchymal stem cells, a
distinct adult stem cell type isolated from bone
marrow that is the precursor of fat, bone and
cartilage.
EMBRYONIC CELL WORK CONTINUES
Daley said his team would also continue to work with
true embryonic stem cells, taken from days-old
embryos. While their use is controversial because it
involves the destruction of the embryo, most stem cell
experts say it is essential to continue to study them.
"Understanding how to derive stem cells from embryos
may teach us how to make the reprogramming process
that much more efficient," Daley said.
It was by studying embryonic stem cells that
researchers learned which genes are needed to make
ordinary cells act in the same way. Daley's lab used
four genes and discovered that two were essential for
turning back the clock and making the skin cells act
like embryo cells, and two others helped them grow
efficiently.
His team also converted fetal and embryonic cells into
various cell types, and found these were far easier to
work with.
"The fact that embryonic and fetal cells convert more
efficiently than adult cells was suggested in mouse
studies but the pattern is quite apparent with human
cells," Daley said. "This suggests that there are many
aspects of the biology of reprogramming we still need
to understand to make the process more efficient."
(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
---------------
Jusfiq Hadjar gelar Sutan Maradjo Lelo
Allah yang disembah orang Islam tipikal dan yang digambarkan oleh al-Mushaf itu
dungu, buas, kejam, keji, ganas, zalim lagi biadab hanyalah Allah fiktif.
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