Genetic Stem Cell Manipulation

Posted by michael on Tuesday February 11, 2003 @06:16AM from the three-eyed-fish dept.

Benedryl Patanol writes "A team at the University of Wisconsin has successfully deleted a 'disease gene' from human embryonic stem cells. This is a first for manipulating stem cell's genetic material because of the difficulty in culturing and controlling their development. With this new method, the genes can be manipulated so as to control the kind of tissue the cells form into and the research is already trying to recreate brain cells that die off with Parkinsons Disease. The article also talks about the resurgence of ethical inquiries that are making this technology a very intense debate in the US."

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Stem Cell Line Viability by ktulus+cry · 2003-02-11 15:51 · Score: 2, Interesting

I don't know if the same can be done for stem cells, but human fibroblast cell lines are made 'immortal' by knocking out the rb gene, I believe. The become pseudo-cancer cells, and proliferate as long as you need them to, minus the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells. They're really handy to use as a control in squamous cell carcinoma research. Anyone have any idea if something similar could be done in stem cells? Or would that compromise other cell functions too much?