'Unprecedented' stem-cell feat announced

[babylonsister]

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/07/unprecedented-stemcell-feat-announced-.html

'Unprecedented' stem-cell feat announced


The Los Angeles Times reports on an "unprecedented feat" in stem cell research that was announced today.

The paper writes that two teams of Chinese researchers succeeded in "inducing cells from connective tissue in mice to revert back to their embryonic state and producing living mice from them."

The Times writes that the results also open the door to a variety of applications beyond producing stem cells for medicinal purposes, including the production of endangered species and the reproduction of prized farm and other animals.

One of the lead researchers did note that some first-generation living mice had abnormalities. She did not say what those abnormalities were.

One scientist not involved in the research said the results still raise ethical concerns. Dr. Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer at Advanced Cell Technology Inc., which generates embryonic stem cell lines without destroying embryos, said the studies "revive many of the same ethical issues as reproductive cloning."

"We have gone from science fiction to reality," he added.

The results were published online today by the journals Nature and Cell Stem Cell.

[Taverner]

1. If this is true...

WOW FUCKING WOW!!!!

[Clintonista2]

2. What do they mean by the "production" of endangered species?

What's the difference between stem cells and cloning when it comes to this?

[Posteritatis]

5. I'm assuming that's just a typo of "protection" (nt)

[Skip Intro]

15. two letters wrong...

I don't think it was a typo

[Posteritatis]

16. Happens all the time. (nt)

[Ian David]

3. "....some first-generation living mice had abnormalities..."

[Goblinmonger]

10. Princess Bride FTW! Nice. n/t

[Tim01]

4. I take stuff the Chinese say with a grain of salt. Time will tell. nt

[central scrutinizer]

7. add a little melamine and lead paint and you can clone some sheet rock

[Tim01]

13. And make a few toys. nt

[andym]

6. This is misleading. It is important, but not unprecedented.

Scientists have been able to take cells from various mammals and reprogram them to create a new organism for many years. It is called "cloning." It was first done with frogs in the 1960's and then with Dolly the sheep in 1996. These have all used nuclear transfer. It's been possible to clone mice for quite some time.

In the current a method discovered in 2006, called induced pluripotency (IPS) was used. This involves reprogramming cells with the forced expression of four defined transcription factors. The cool thing about this new report is that they showed that cells created by induced pluripotency (IPS) act just like real embryonic stem cells in that they can be used to essentially create clones. So that means these IPS cells are essentially equivalent to ES cells.


So in effect the new reports have validated that ES-like cells produced by IPS are functionally equivalent to real ES cells and in theory it will be useful to make IPS cells from patients to create therapeutics.

[Canuckistanian]

8. Then why has this been heralded as a breakthorugh?

Is this just an easier way to produce stem cells?

[Posteritatis]

17. Journalists report *everything* as a breakthrough. (nt)

[surrealAmerican]

12. Thank you.

Your explanation makes much more sense than the article.

[tridim]

9. Mind boggling news if true. So many possibilities. nt

[tomreedtoon]

11. Abnormalities? They drink BLOOD!!!!

They're the Living Dead. And they don't have to be zombies and walk around slowly; see the recently released independent movie "DeadGirl" to understand other ways the living dead can attack us.

[Skip Intro]

14. No. We will regret this.

The production of of endangered species.

Something is wrong with that. I can't say yet what it is.

I'm not a person on the rw of things, a search will show that.

But I have to say, this is too much. There are things we maybe shouldn't know. There are things we maybe shouldn't do.

That's all I'm saying...

[HughMoran]

18. I have to admit to a certain amount of trepidation here

Why are there almost always "abnormalities" when cloning or now with stem-cell reproduction? Is this akin to why relatives shouldn't breed? I know it's different, but the idea of "stopping" natural selection by overriding nature seems like a can of worms that may create an defect or virus that could destroy all of humanity.

[Skip Intro]

19. Unimaginable consequences. nt

[Wednesdays]

20. K&R

:kick:

[bimeksk]

21. stem cells

Stem cells are the newest discovery in medicine.
http://bimek.com.mk