Posted on 10/26/2009 5:18:44 AM PDT by markomalley
A University of Nebraska Medical Center research team led by Iqbal Ahmad, Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, has reprogrammed regular body cells to resemble embryonic stem cells without the use of potentially harmful foreign genetic material.
The research, published in STEM CELLS, suggests that cells taken from a patient's eye can be "reprogrammed" to replace or restore cells lost to degenerative diseases.
The research is the first proof in principle that somatic, or body cells, can be transformed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) simply through the influence of the microenvironment in which the sampled cells are cultured. Previously, genetic materials were introduced into somatic cells to reprogram them to become stem cells.
"Our findings provide evidence for an emerging view that somatic cells may be reprogrammed safely and simply by defined chemicals and other factors, which may facilitate their clinical use," Dr. Ahmad said. "The next step is to know how robust the reprogramming is and what existed within the microenvironment to cause it."
Dr. Ahmad said his findings wouldn't have been possible without embryonic stem cell research.
"It must be emphasized that this development is directly related to embryonic stem cell research and the knowledge we have acquired from it," he said. "We need to know how embryonic stem cells induced adult stem cells to function like themselves, and we can't know this if we don't continue with embryonic stem cell research."
The team sampled progenitor eye cells, which regenerate the eye's cornea, from laboratory rats. The cells were reprogrammed to resemble stem cells, and they acquired the properties necessary to replace or restore cell types that degenerate in Parkinson's disease, heart disease and liver disease.
This technique may allow ‘autologous cell transplantation,' where the donor of the cells also is the recipient. This is preferable to using cells from another person, which may cause the patient's immune system to reject the transplanted cells.
Dr. Ahmad's research was supported by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
As the state's only academic health science center, UNMC is on the leading edge of health care. Breakthroughs are possible because hard-working researchers, educators and clinicians are resolved to work together to fuel discovery. In 2009, UNMC's extramural research support topped $100 million for the first time, resulting in the creation of 3,600 jobs in Nebraska. UNMC's academic excellence is shown through its award-winning programs, and its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through its commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country's leading health care centers. UNMC's physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 550 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC's Web site at www.unmc.edu.
This won’t make the news, much as other adult stem cell research breakthroughs don’t. The left cannot allow the populace to see these things or they will not be able to continue to destroy life and advance the culture of death.
It would be so amazing to see, for just once in my lifetime (I was born in the late 60’s) a time where the truth mattered more than agenda. I have yet to see it in my lifetime.........
Don’t hold your breath
If I did, I would have added to the culture of death by now LOL. 40 years of breathholding would take its toll on anybody!
Iqbal Ahmad
It's all a trap! He's going to get us all infected and then hide in the mosque! </paranoidFRmode> ;-)
When these guys lie they do themselves no favors.
Probably where their funding is coming from Mark. You think these guys don't KNOW that all embryonic stem cells have been able to do is give cancer to little kids?
Dr. Ahmad's research was supported by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
As the state's only academic health science center, UNMC is on the leading edge of health care. Breakthroughs are possible because hard-working researchers, educators and clinicians are resolved to work together to fuel discovery. In 2009, UNMC's extramural research support topped $100 million for the first time, resulting in the creation of 3,600 jobs in Nebraska. UNMC's academic excellence is shown through its award-winning programs, and its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through its commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country's leading health care centers. UNMC's physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 550 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC's Web site at www.unmc.edu.
Looks as if they're just playing lip service to the embryonic side of stem cell research to keep up funding for their real work.
BTW, if you have a ping list for these kind of articles, let me know. ...And if you get a chance, check out some of the work that they're already doing with adult stem cells at Walter Reed.
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