Posted on 02/17/2010 1:05:18 PM PST by decimon
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – In a surprise result that can help in the understanding of both aging and cancer, researchers working with an engineered type of stem cell said they reversed the aging process in a rare genetic disease.
The team at Children's Hospital Boston and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute were working with a new type of cell called induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells, which closely resemble embryonic stem cells but are made from ordinary skin cells.
In this case, they wanted to study a rare, inherited premature aging disorder called dyskeratosis congenita. The blood marrow disorder resembles the better-known aging disease progeria and causes premature graying, warped fingernails and other symptoms as well as a high risk of cancer.
It is very rare and normally diagnosed between the ages of 10 and 30. About half of patients have bone marrow failure, which means their bone marrow stops making blood and immune cells properly.
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"We're not saying we've found the fountain of youth, but the process of creating iPS cells recapitulates some of the biology that our species uses to rejuvenate itself in each generation," Daley's colleague Suneet Agarwal said in a statement.
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(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Marrow escape ping.
“resemble embryonic stem cells but are made from ordinary skin cells”
I can hear the sadness in al-Reuters that a child is not killed for this cure.
*good news* :P
Telomere elongation in induced pluripotent stem cells from dyskeratosis congenita patients
It's nice to see George Daley doing some good work. IIRC, for a while all he wanted to work with were embryonic stem cells.
Ping...(Thanks, hennie pennie!)
*groan*
Thanks for the ping!
Amazing how God takes care of things, if we get out of the way, and let Him show us.
You’re Welcome, Alamo-Girl!
with a new type of cell called induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells, which closely resemble embryonic stem cells but are made from ordinary skin cellsThanks decimon.
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