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Major Advance In Understanding Cell Reprogramming
Researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital have taken a major step toward eventually being able to reprogram adult cells to an embryonic stem cell-like state without the use of viruses or cancer-causing genes. In a paper released online today by the journal Cell Stem Cell, Konrad Hochedlinger and colleagues report that they have both discovered how long adult cells need to be exposed to reprogramming factors before they convert to an embryonic-like state, and have "defined the sequence of events that occur during reprogramming."
Maybe now that they have better understanding of it, well start getting some damn GAMES for the thing!
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
No you aren't.
I was expecting some kind of compiler upgrade or language extension.
liqbase
What is interesting is that they are using adult cells.
Article says, that
I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
This is actually a very major step because up until now most of the stem cell used caused cancerous tumors in the test subject, a definite problem and stumbling block.
I read the abstract (the article is for-purchase) and it looks like they have a better feel for what it takes to turn adult cells into embryonic stems cells. Furthermore, they identified cell markers that let you better isolate these cells from other cells that haven't made the transitions between the two states.
I think what you'll start seeing is much better efficiencies for upcoming cloning experiments (currently it's incredibly poor), as well as people starting to talk about theraputic stem cell treatments (since you can better guarantee the "purity" of the cells you're injecting into people).
"A major milestone..."! Damn dyslexia...
Thank you for being one of the few people who actually links to the original publication when citing a scientific advance. I can't tell you how aggravating it is to try to look these things up when half the time they don't even tell you the name of the researcher who made the break through.
I was under the impression that this is half the problem. Build replacements.
The other half is rejuvenate cells and especially their DNA. Are the two separate or do embrionic cells behave differently in the handling of telomers as I understand gametes do ?
If not this is useful to repair broken bits and pieces not to rejuvenate aging tissue.
bindo
I, too, had the unfortunate experience of also expecting it to involve the CellBE. What the article_really_is about though is also quite interetsing - I've always been amazed by how close genetics/programming is related. Well, in the sense that one is able to control both mediums via a 'language' of sorts... Pretty soon we'll see people who know languages such as RNA++ and Gattaca That last one was a stretch...but it'd make for a neat name :P
I was also confused because the Cell processor isn't really 'reprogrammable'. Guess this explains it. Stupid biologists getting in the way of our video games..
which is totally what she said
You're not alone. After having read about all the difficulty in writing software that take advantage of the multiple cores of Cell processors, I saw the title and said "it's about time they figured out how to do it!". /. crowd plunging into human cell programming just yet (and at least until there is gcc support).
But it about a much cleaner architecture after all, human cells. Anyway I don't see the
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I can't wait till I'm my own websever.
I was ignorantly thinking cell phones.
I'd hate to think what would happen with Genetic programming without a Genetic Debugger. =)
Add me to the list. Oh while I'm at it. Don't post to the cell hacking news group. The biology girls flame the hell out of you even though they don't have any posts.
Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.
I fully oppose this up until the day I get cancer.
If you haven't made a developer cry, you've wasted a day.
The summary says:
"reactivation of endogenous Oct4, Sox2, telomerase, and the silent X chromosome mark late events in the reprogramming process."
When presented with a major advance in health and biology, with impacts that could range from curing paralysis to curing cancer, most slashdotters will be dissapointed you aren't talking about a failing videogame console.
Something that's sold 8 million consoles in the year since it's release? About the same number the the 360 has sold? And what is honestly the best Blu-Ray dvd player on the market, since it's already powerful enough to be able to do any new versions of blu-ray with just a firmware upgrade. Go back to when the PS3/Wii first came out and check the 360's sales. They're the same as what the PS3 is at now. Go troll elsewhere.
Well I'll be the first to say I'm not a stem cell researcher, I've tried to read up on it though. I've read there is plenty of problems with iPS cells causing tumors, and when I read the statement from the slashdot submission; major step toward eventually being able to reprogram adult cells to an embryonic stem cell-like state without the use of viruses or cancer-causing genes I made the assumption (bad on my part) the submitter was drawing the conclusion from the article. So shoot me.
...but when your cells get Slashdotted you'll think again.
|/usr/games/fortune
As a Christian, I have no problem with embryonic stem cell research either.
The bible clearly states that the unborn are chattle and while they are human life, they aren't a human person. Virtually all references to the start of life include breath/breathing etc. You actually have to strain very hard to find biblical support for embryonic protection.
I just personally disagree with the creation of embryo's for the sole purpose of destroying them. They may not be a person but they are still valuable.
This identifies major steps and provides some information about them. Fully understanding what is going on in there and being able to manipulate it could still be quite a ways off. This is an advance, but has the typical one of a thousand steps look such work usally has.
... and slashdotters continue to miss the point.
Cure to human diseases? More like opportunities for console wars.
shoot you up with iPS cells
That they can revert adult cells to a stem-cell status is a major leap forward, IMO.
So far the most reliable source of stem cells has been obtained from harvesting dead babies. Anything that will put a stop to that, and give us a potentially more abundant source is a good thing.
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
I don't have cells from when I was an embryo.
If I had them, I couldn't pay to keep them. Storage probably involves liquid nitrogen. Given that there is a small chance I'd need the cells and a 100% change I'd be paying big bucks to keep them, it just doesn't make sense.
I sure don't want cells from somebody else.
I want my own cells. This does the job. In other words, this is the perfect answer. Embryonic stem cells just do not fit the problem and never did.