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Scientists find a way around stem cell controversy?

Posted Nov 20, 2007 at 02:10PM by Isaac C. Listed in: Science Tags: stem cells, Kyoto University, DNA, University of Wisconsin
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Stem Cells - Image 1 


There's no doubt that embryonic research does a great deal for creating more advanced medicine and medical techniques, but that's not the problem. The problem is that the means for harvesting stem cells usually involve destroying human embryos.

However, new research has started to create a process where skin cells act like stem cells. Should the research prove successful, the whole moral controversy surrounding stem cell research won't be an issue anymore.

The process involves creating human skin cells to work like stem cells: to be able to change into different specialized cell types. It's been done in mice five months ago and scientists are now trying to find a way to make the same thing work for humans.

The catch, however, is that the process involves disrupting DNA in the skin cells, which could lead to skin cancer. Experts say that the process can be avoided. There are currently two teams working on the research (a race, if you will).

One team is based in Kyoto University and used skin from the face of a 36-year-old woman. The other team, based in the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is working on foreskin cells from a newborn.

The process (for both labs) involve using viruses to deliver a gene payload to the skin cells. These genes, in turn, modify other genes in the skin cell. This process is called direct programming of the cells. The difference between the two labs is that they use different viruses.

While this definitely changes our approach to the stem cell controversy, it is still to be seen whether the process would be accepted, or whether this would even be more effective than the current technique of harvesting stem cells from embryos.

[Via Associated Press] Permalink  |   Email this  |   Linking Blogs   |   Digg It!

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3 Comments


Sort by:
   by Seoulfood - 2007-11-20
 » hmm
It's crazy what scientists are doing with infections these days. This could be ground-breaking if they stabilize the technique.

   by Advertising -
   by Orlyeh - 2007-11-20
 » dur
Adult stem cells are already being used to combat, if not cure, at leat twelve diseases including Type I Diabetes. Embryonic stem cells have been found to cure what again? Oh, that's right, NOTHING.

Now, I'm not saying they don't have the potential to cure, but they do carry the moral burden of being tied to abortion.


   Re: Stealth! - 2007-11-22
 » What are you talking about?
Do you have any idea about Embryonic stem cells are do you just like stating your BS as fact. Embryonic stem cells has been tested and it does work you dumba$$, next time do research before start talking $hit.


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