Scientists Discover Two New Methods to Create Human Embryonic Stem Cells Without Harm to Embryos
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| Stem cells can develop into many different cell types in the body |
These two methods have been successfully implemented on laboratory mice, and researchers are optimistic that the process can be applied to human cells for regeneration.
In the first study published in detail in the journal Nature this week, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology successfully inhibited the activity of the Cdx2 gene in mouse embryos. This intervention prevents the formation of a cell layer known as trophectoderm, which stops the embryo from attaching to the uterine wall and developing into a living organism. They assert that these embryos can produce viable stem cells.
In the second study, scientists employed a reproductive technique known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis to obtain embryonic stem cells from mice: a single cell was extracted from a mouse embryo and then reinserted into the remaining embryo to cultivate and develop as normal. This single cell is sufficient to generate multiple stem cells.
Mr. Young Chung, one of the project leaders, stated: “These newly produced stem cells have the capability to generate any cell type in the body, including nerve cells, bone cells, and beating heart cells.”
Both research teams confirm that these experimental techniques in mice could be applicable to humans. Stem cells have the potential to replace any type of human cell as needed and could aid in the treatment of various degenerative diseases.
The issue of stem cells has previously sparked intense ethical and political debates in the United States. The Bush administration, which supported anti-abortion policies, rejected funding for embryonic stem cell research, believing it could lead to the destruction of embryos.
T.VY (According to Xinhua, AFP)
