Scientists create stem cells from skin tissue
Date: February 01, 2008
The two research teams of Cheju National University and Konkuk
University succeded in producing stem cells out of skin tissue and
applied for patents as announced on Friday (Feb. 1).Korean scientists
said Friday (Feb. 1) that they have successfully produced stem cells
from the skin tissue of laboratory animals without relying on the use
of ovum.
The move, which may skirt ethical controversy surrounding the use of
ovum in laboratories, is the third of its kind after scientists in
Japan and the United States announced similar breakthroughs in 2006
and 2007.
The use of eggs has drawn fire become some pro-life and religious
groups claim that using the cells is the equivalent of taking a life.
The team led by Park Se-pill, a life engineering professor at Cheju
National University, said it created the stem cell from somatic cell
samples of mice, possibly opening new opportunities for the creation
of patient-specific stem cells.
Theoretically, patient-specific cells could be designed to grow into
replacement organs, nerves and muscle that are not rejected by the
body's immune system. They could also be used to treat such diseases
as Alzheimer's and diabetes and help people suffering from paralysis
of limbs caused by damaged vertebrae.
Park said the overall process of making the stem cells is similar to
those by U.S. and Japanese scientists, there has been a marked
improvement in the success rate.
"Foreign scientists used the so-called retrovirus, but we made
headway by attaching the lentivirus to the transporting vector, and
inserted it into the somatic cell of the lab animal," he said.
This process resulted in a stem cell being confirmed by a fluorescent
microscope.
The team claimed it was able to push these stem cells to
differentiate into liver, nerve and muscle tissues.
They said efforts are underway to recreate the process using human
somatic cells.
Park, who is also the leading researcher at Mirae Biotech Research
Institute in Seoul, said the discovery has been submitted for both
domestic and international patents.
He stressed that because the latest process was more efficient in
stem cell production, it could give local engineers a competitive
edge in the eventual development of patient-specific stem cells.
In 2006, Kyoto University scientist Shinya Yamanaka said he created
stem cells from the somatic cell of mice. Last year, the Japanese
stem cell expert and James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin
announced they successfully made stem cells from skin tissue.
Both developments drew considerable attention from the scientific
community that has been hampered by moves by governments to prevent
the use of ova to make stem cells.
"Just as former cloning expert Hwang Woo-suk helped Korea reach the
forefront of animal cloning, the latest breakthrough should help the
country take the lead in the race to make viable stem cells that can
be used for treatment," Park said.
He added the research results have been submitted to international
scientific journals for publishing.
http://www.kois.
serial_no=200802010
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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