Posted on 12/09/2007 9:54:30 AM PST by ari-freedom
Scientists have succeeded in using cells virtually identical to embryonic stem cells to "correct" sickle cell anemia in mice.
The breakthrough was made possible by another advance announced barely two weeks ago that scientists had created "induced pluripotent stem" (iPS) cells from human skin cells. These iPS cells are very similar, although not exactly identical, to embryonic stem cells. The process bypasses the need to use embryos, and thus circumvents many of the ethical complications surrounding this type of research.
The first research announcement had left open the question of whether iPS cells could actually be used for therapeutic purposes.
That question has now been at least partially answered by this latest report.
"This study is important as a proof of principle that these iPS cells can be used to correct mutations," said Dr. Jacob Hanna, lead author of the study, which is published in the Dec. 6 online issue of Science Express.
Hanna is a postdoctoral fellow in Rudolf Jaenisch's laboratory at The Whitehead Institute in Boston.
"It's very fascinating that they're using these reprogrammed cells to make hematopoietic cells [which can produce different blood and immune cells] to then treat the genetic defect in these mice," said Paul Sanberg, director of the University of South Florida Center for Aging and Brain Repair in Tampa.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
On the subject of sickle cell it's great,great news that they may have found a cure or effective treatment.As one who worked for a long time in a big city ER I can attest to the fact that sickle cell is a source of enormous suffering and many deaths in this country.
well the Surge is also working but there are people who still don’t get it yet.
That malaria resistance gene came with a stiff price. Nothing’s for free in the natural world.
I do hope this can lead to an actual human therapy quickly.
“The procedure to turn skin cells into iPS cells could lead to cancer (although none of the mice in this study showed any evidence of tumors). Also, the healthy genes were introduced into the mice via retroviruses, which can introduce other problems.
“Now the major question in the field is can you make iPSs with a safer method, that don’t use retroviruses, because viruses can integrate into the DNA and activate dangerous genes or silence necessary genes,” Hanna explained.”
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If I understand correctly, that’s the stickiest part of “gene therapy;” getting the corrected genes into all the body’s cells.
Har! Yeah sure.
How does rendering "embryonic stem cells obsolete" help the infanticide industry and their main sponsor, the Democrat Party? The infanticide business brings in way, way too much dirty money (and therefore, campaign dough for the Democrats) for the cretins to ever just let stem cells go away.
And we were counting on sickle cell soooo much.
yes the price is actually the elimination of the C allele. The CC genotype offers malarial resistance without sickle cell anemia (sickle cell is AS) but it doesn’t even get a chance after AS beats AC and SC. CC would take over, if there was no S allele.
This is NOT GOOD!!!
The Darwinists claim sickle cell is proof of positive gene mutations. You don’t CURE something that is a ‘benefit’, even if the benefit brings a whole other bunch of health problems with it.!?!?
If anything, we should find a way to give EVERYONE sickle cell anemia, as it is such a positive change.
Oh yeah, /sarc
ping
Thanks for the ping to a new thread on this story, darkangel82.
see post 8. not only is sickle cell anemia a serious disease, natural selection and the mutant S allele works against evolution by preventing the prevalence of the more beneficial CC genotype.
bump
This is a fantastic development that will likely help sickle cell suffers!
What do you mean by this statement? Or is this a movie quote?
I’ve known a couple of people with Sickle Cell and that stuff is really rough. One lady had it thought she was cured then out of the blue she got sick and was gone in 12 hours. she was about 30 years old.
I hope so.
There is just one major concern I have. Usually when government funds research you get a lot of fluff. When it funds education you get a lot of...tenured liberal academics that can’t hack it in the real world.
Since all of the free $ is in adult stem research I would expect to see promising sounding developments that don’t lead to anything.
On the other hand, the Surge is working and DARPA gave us the internet so it is possible for some good to come from the government.
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