Scientists turn human skin cells into functioning neurons
The technology could be used for regenerative therapies to treat nervous system conditions like Parkinson's disease.
Photo: Patrick Hoesly/Flickr Comments
We all know the article is about skin cells not stem cells. However, without the research on stem cells we would have never gotten this far.
dead fetus=dead person. Capital punishment= dead person. I like ice cream too. Are you a hypocrite too?
I'm cool with cells from non-embryonic sources being used for this kind of research, but I have to draw the line at killing innocent babies.
Note that this research is being done on skin cells, not on embryos. It is not embryonic stem cell research, which is the kind of stem cell research that millions of people have an objection to because it destroys human embryos. This research can be done without destroying any human life, so there will be no religious objections. The only thing problematic about it is that aborted fetuses were used as one of the sources of skin cells, but as the article makes clear, it is not necessary to.... More
I'm pro-choice, but care must be taken to prevent fetuses from becoming a cash crop. If abortion clinics donate fetal tissue, they shouldn't be paid for them. Just as women shouldn't be pressured against abortion, they shouldn't be pressured into it.
And the foreskin thing - that's another issue. Hospitals shouldn't be cutting pieces off of live babies without medical cause. I've read every justification used for that practice, and even if they were all true (which none of them are),.... More
If only people could get past the use of the most simple way to make T-Cells the best possible-Sperm and egg then the divide to just only what is needed.People lose sperm & eggs everyday,but they just cannot let go of belief systems so we can finally start curing almost any illness putting them together.It should be legal if their are people willing to donate knowing the division will take place to start saving lives asap.
well discoveries that give us huge benefits often start from places where we rather not think about, but that's science... that's life.. anyways this is exciting. I can think of so many applications of this and.. yeah.. those that are deeply opposed to this research because of religious reasons will later jump more progressive products not made with 'godly materials'
but the research has to start somewhere
Hype. Your cells are so sensitive to even the slightest chromosomal abnormalities, then these cells turning cancerous is an almost certainty.
Welcome the eternal pessimist. Perhaps they can find a way to not become cancerous, but first they have to make this step possible.
Maybe it's me, but I'm having a hard time getting a feel for this article.
OK moral ethics and arguments aside, think of the potential for this type of break through, completely new lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas's and the list goes on and all of them vital organs replacing old or defective organs and the quality of life this type of treatment has the potential to provide.
What bothers me is people who oppose this scientific research. I think these sort of people should use their common sense more often and less of their blind belief in fictional books. Open your minds! Realize that we know nothing of what and why we are here on this earth. Religous books were written by people not god, and those people were no smarter than a 5th grader in today's terms. People like you and Michelle B. will ruin our country and our world. We need more science and more math in.... More
Most Christians believe in capital punishment? Can you actually support that claim with more than saying "Texas?"
You have two burdens. (1) Identifying people and counting people who are actually Christians (which is not the same as asking them). (2) Counting which Christians are for capital punishment and which aren't.
Assuming members of the Roman Catholic Church are Christians, the official stance of that organization is that capital punishment is wrong. Do you think.... More
Most Church's in Texas are Christian. And Texas kills more people for crimes than most countries do, google it. Then you have most Christians, (MOST) not all believe stem cell research is wrong(GOOGLE IT!). I should have never said Christians, how about all people who believe in books that are not factual. I think religon holds us back, but it can be good in keeping us together. However, I dont think its not right to say one thing and do another, so since Im guessing your Roman Catholic that.... More
What article were you reading? Capital punishment....creating body parts from skin cells. Not even close.
I like ice cream.
I was replying to someone who supported Michelle B. I know the article is about skin cells not stem cells, but the research we have done on stem cells go us here. And we would be a lot further if it wasnt for people and there blind beliefs. Thats probably why we are trying it with skin cells because people in our goverenment dont want stem cell research. And Capital punishment = dead people and so does a dead fetus, a fetus could be a person. I was using Texas as an example for my arguement..... More
Actually, asking someone if they are Christian *IS* enough. Jesus does not require anyone to belong to a special clubs, RCC or otherwise. You can be Christian without ever setting foot in a clubhouse, what matters is what is in someone's heart. You are confusing the political institution in Rome with Christianity.
The great part about this medical break through is that it doesn't require the destruction of embryos to acquire stem cells to work with, but rather uses the persons own skin cells and reduces the chance of rejection to zero.
Note that the only embryos that have been destroyed for embryonic stem-cell research have been the frozen ones that prospective parents no longer want. During the Bush years, those embryos were simply flushed down the toilet - as they still are in most cases.
So if you have a problem with the use of embryo's -and my VERY studied belief is that the Bible says nowhere that an early embryo is human- you should be concerned with the THOUSANDS of embryos flushed down the toilet each.... More
This type of funding needs to be going further in funding this type of work. Prayer does have it's place just not in medical research. Even Christ himself healed the sick, the lame and the blind, raised the dead and cast out demons and charged his disciples to do likewise.
Just a reminder that while the article and comments are fair game--our community guidelines ask that you be respectful of other people (and their beliefs) in your comment.
In other words, present your opinion without mocking the opinion, intelligence or beliefs of others.
Thanks.
"foreskin of newborns?" But California is banning circumcision so whatever will we do to get penis skin?
This type of research needs to be defunded immediately. Science in my opinion is now meddling with Gods plan and is destroying the Christian values that this country was built upon. Science teaching needs to be significantly scaled back in schools while at the same time making Christianity and its teachings a required course.
Please consider voting for Michele Bachmann in 2012!!
God Bless
This type of research needs to be defunded immediately. Science in my opinion is now meddling with the Spaghetti monster's plan and is destroying the Noodly values that this country was built upon. Science teaching needs to be significantly scaled back in schools while at the same time making Pastafarianism and its teachings a required course.
Pasta to you too!
So you AND Michelle Bachmann are both the keepers of this "Gods plan" poppycock. Please share it with the rest of the class, and also let us know how he told you.
Thank you for letting us know who to vote against.
They used a foreskin to help generate brain cells? My -ex always told me that was where my brain was - guess she was right after all!
Never heard of spontaneous abortion?
Let me know when you can reprogram fibroblasts into pluripotent stem cells which can differentiate into anything I want. Oh, and without causing cancer...
I know I'd love to have foreskin as my brain cells! Hilariously awesome! Way to go science!
At first I read the article, and said "wow, this interesting." Until you find out that the break through came from aborted fetuses... not so cool... and rather disgusting and a shame that science has come to using aborted fetuses to advance science, as if fetuses are things to be created and thrown away for the purpose of advancing science... now my reaction this article is... disgusting...
Of course you are right here.. far better that these aborted fetuses be flushed down the sewer than be used for some furture cure.
I agree with the notion of aborted fetus being scandalous, but you don't need them actually. Umbilical chords from newborns are sufficient, and you could make them from adult cells too.
Until you get sick.
Actually, they are taken from newborns/fetuses in this example, though other technologies can use the adult skin cells (such as the case with cardiomyocytes).
This article never claimed where the fetus came from or the method used to procure it. I believe this is an amazing breakthrough for science and medicine. Yet you think they purposely abort fetuses to test the cells....how do you know this? Are you on their research team? Were you there when they obtained the aborted fetus? No...no you were not. You jumping to conclusions with the intention of negating the progress of a program is why breakthroughs have been so difficult.
There are 1.3 million abortions performed in the US annually. No judgement on the patients, but if science can find cures to otherwise non-treatable diseases such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, etc., that would be a positive that comes from someones very difficult life decision.
This is awesome - excited to see how fast and what this develops into.
When I read this headline on CNN I immediately thought scientists had made headway in the field of teleportation, but it looks like I was wrong.
How cool is that?????? #sciencerocks
