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Stem Cells Generated From Adult Cells
DrJay writes "Scientist report that introducing only four genes to adult cells is sufficient to convert them to something that looks and acts remarkably like an embryonic stem cell. Although some of the details need to be worked out, if this technique is generally applicable, it may allow the production of an essentially unlimited supply of stem cells. There is a subscription-only report, and Ars Technica's science journal describes the results in some detail for those without subscriptions."
What about the rights of the innocent human cells killed in this process? Have these scientists no moral fiber whatsoever?
Push Button, Receive Bacon
I can finally grow myself a twin!
Oh wait, I already am one.
Quads it is then...
Summation 2
Didn't "Star Trek" have an episode about a guy who had this condition?
Where were you when the voynix came?
So if you're a mouse, we have so many cures for you. We even have cures for most cancers. Wake me up when scientists figure out how to do this with human cells.
This will help kill some of the controversy if it actually works, but many in America still have an irrational fear of sciences that they do not, and can not, understand. People can understand that taking a pill makes you better even if they do not understand the "how" of the pill. They can understand that cutting into your leg to repair a bone with metal rods makes sense. Very few people, however, understand how stem cells may help medical science. Without helping them understand (politicians included), we still have a long way to go before the public openly accepts stem cell research and is comfortable in pumping large amounts of tax money into the research system.
but.. but.. but.. that cell can turn into a living breathing human being.
Timang tinggi tinggi
parang sudah asah
alang alang mandi
biar sampai basah
See you can't even READ about it unless you've got money... so it starts...
You're nothing; like me.
But won't the bodies start to stack up fast? I mean, there are only so many hobos that one can kill for their stem cells. They could fit like 1000 embreyos in one Tupperware bowl. Now they will have to have an entire U-Haul truck rented to store all the hobo corpses.
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The main problem with stem cell research (in the US, mostly) is the moral dimension. This method removes that, and may allow stem cell research to move ahead in the US, although it may be too late. Other countries are less concerned with the moral implications of embryonic stem cells (I believe The Economist had an article about stem cell research in Singapore recently) and are ahead of the US as a result. Can the US catch up fast enough using this method?
There is also the possibility that any stem cell research will be very limited in the US for some time to come, regardless of the method. This is due to the current administration's attitude towards stem cell research, although the attitude may shift with a new administration in '08.
All I know is that this is gonna be used by the religious fr^H^H supporters to say "Aha ! We told you that killing embryos was wrong ! All we needed to do is to give this problem a little bit more thought ... Countless embryos have now been saved from your murderous hands !"
Well if the news turns out to be true, then they'd be right :(...
Slow down there. Did you read the link? I am not telling any woman what to do. The website promotes adoption of embryos as a way for infertile couples to still have a child that the woman gave birth to. I agree that there are babies that are already born that need adoption. This is not meant to take the place of that. This is for couples who only wish to have a baby if they can give birth to it themselves.
Wicked, I had no idea Scientist could do this kind of stuff. And he's a great musician.
Strange though that he doesn't mention this kind of research on his myspace page.
Basically, it's a standard tool in molecular biology. GFP (an acronym for the creatively named Green Flourescent Protein) is a simple protein that's used as an indicator for all sorts of activity. Biologists, for example, will insert the gfp gene into an organism; if the organism glows, then that bit of gene splicing was successful. In other cases, GFP is tied into various genetic regulatory circuits again as a very convenient indicator.
In this case, the researchers added these "induced pluripotent stem cells" (tagged with the GFP gene) to a very early mouse embryo. Since the mouse had green glowing cells throughout its tissues, and the only grene glowing genes were introduced with the induced stem cells, the stem cells were clearly able to differentiate into many kinds of mature cells.
This research is more significant in that it shows the (apparently) minimal set of factors required to make cells revert to pluripotent forms. If only people would shut up about the politics and let scientists do the research...
Too bad I posted, and won't be able to moderate what looks to be a sparkling and witty discussion...
I find it amazing that many of the comments here are relatively negative in tone-- that people are still more interested in grousing about the religious right and their ridiculous ethics than they are in celebrating (however cautiously) an advance that may make it possible to reap the benefits of stem-cell research without compromising morals or sacrificing what some consider to be human lives.
This development might offer a way for both sides to win. Should we really be feeling disheartened about that, like "Ugh, what if embryonic stem cells really aren't necessary, and they turn out to have been right all along?"? My impression was that supporting stem cell research was about being pro-science, not anti-religion.