Researchers Find Substitute For Embryonic Stem Cell.
by Avinav Malhotra
Published on June 10, 2008 - 0 comments
Researchers in Melbourne, Australia, have become the first to
reprogram and successfully test the effectiveness of embryo-free stem
cells.
Now, after the United States and Japan, Australian researchers have
successfully reprogrammed Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPS cells)
to behave more like embryonic cells. They hope that one day these
cells can be used as cures for various medical conditions, without
the controversial usage of embryonic stem cells.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells are derived from adult somatic cells
by artificially adding certain genesdefine to them. They are believed
to be identical to natural Pluripotent cells, like the embryonic stem
cells. They are similar in many respects, like expression of certain
stem cell genes and proteins, doubling time, embryoid body formation,
potency and differentiability.
IPS Cells were first produced in 2006 from mouse cells and in 2007
from human cells. This has been cited as an important advancement in
stem cell research, as it may allow researchers to obtain Pluripotent
stem cells, which are important in research and potentially have
therapeutic uses, without the controversial use of embryos.
Pluripotent cells are able to differentiate into all derivatives of
the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm. These
include each of the more than 220 cell types in the adult body. This
fact highlights the importance of the cultivation of Pluripotent
cells.
Cells like Embryonic Stem Cells and IPS cells can be cultured to form
different types of tissue. Hence they offer promise in the
development of medical treatments for a wide range of conditions.
These include damage to the brain, spinal cord, skeletal muscles and
the heart. Treatments that have been proposed include physical trauma
(e.g. spinal cord injuries), degenerative conditions (e.g.
Parkinson's disease) or even genetic diseases (in combination with
gene therapy).
However the Ethical usage of stem cells derived from embryos has led
to a controversy. It can be summed up in the line that `once
fertilized, the uninhibited embryo develops into a fully grown
adult'. The religious questioning is similar to that in cases of
abortion and feticide. It has been argued that "the line at which an
embryo becomes a human life remains as arbitrary as ever".
Better alternatives have been suggested and IPS Cells are amongst
them. Adult stem cells had already produced therapies. Moreover,
there have been many advances in adult stem cell research. This field
offers a lot of promise and benefit. Also, being clear of the
controversial embryo-related issues, growth and advancement on the
medicinal front is visible in the near future.
http://www.themedgu
ryonic_stem_
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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