Progress continues apace on the stem cell front. In 2007 scientists developed a way to turn ordinary skin cells into pluripotent stem cells - cells that can develop into other kinds of tissue. This was a giant step in rendering the use of embryonic stem cells unnecessary and thereby avoiding the ethical problem creating by destroying human embryos in order to harvest the cells. There was a catch, however. In order to insert the requisite genes into the skin cells to induce the transformation viruses had to be used as a shuttle, but the virus was a potential trigger for cancer.
Now this obstacle seems to have been overcome:
Researchers said on Sunday they had found a safer way to transform ordinary skin cells into powerful stem cells in a move that could eventually remove the need to use human embryos.
It is the first time that scientists have turned skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells -- which look and act like embryonic stem cells -- without having to use viruses in the process. The new method also allows for genes that are inserted to trigger cell reprogramming to be removed afterwards.
Stem cells are the body's master cells, producing all the body's tissues and organs. Embryonic stem cells are the most powerful kind, as they have the potential to give rise to any tissue type. However, many people object to their use, making iPS cells an attractive alternative, provided they can be made safely.
Researchers have known for some time that ordinary skin cells can be transformed into iPS cells using a handful of genes. But to get these genes into the cells they have had to use viruses, which integrate their own genetic material into the cells they infect. This can cause cancer.
The alternative approach ... appears to avoid the risk of such abnormalities.
Let's all hope so. The promise stem cells offer for healing disease and other infirmities is breathtaking.
RLC
