Posted by usatoday@ in
Scientists have made ordinary skin cells take on the chameleon-like powers of embryonic stem cells in a breakthrough that could quash the ethical storm surrounding regenerative medicine.
The ability to make the sought-after cells from human skin could cut the need to use embryos in stem cell research - and eventually even make them redundant.
The landmark research, hailed by scientists and ethicists alike, also provides a fast-track route to creating stem cells matched to individual patients.
Stem cell expert Dr Robert Lanza said: "This work represents a tremendous scientific milestone - the biological equivalent of the Wright Brothers' first airplane.
"It's a bit like learning how to turn lead into gold."
Two teams of scientists have shown it is possible to reprogramme human skin cells so that they are virtually indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells.
Found in the adult body as well as in embryos, stem cells are master cells capable of turning into every sort of tissue.
They offer great hope as a 'repair kit' for the body, replacing dead, defective and worn out cells in and tissue in conditions from Alzheimer's disease to diabetes.
Embryonic stem cells offer the most promise but their use is mired in controversy, as harvesting them from embryos in the first days of life lead to the death of the embryo.
Opponents of the research say it reduces the miracle of life to nothing more than a spare parts culture. Now, the work by Japanese and US researchers suggests ordinary skin cells could offer an alternative - and ethically acceptable - source of stem cells.
0 comments:
Post a Comment