Yamanaka: I'll let you experiment with pluripotent stem imiei
stem cells? Doubts and disputes will continue, at least for a while '. Issues bioethics related to this fundamental research, in fact, are far from resolved. To recognize and Shinya Yamanaka, the Japanese scientist famous for his insight and then discovered that to produce pluripotent stem cells do not need to destroy human embryos. You can get the same results with adult cells, such as those of the skin.
Yet the cells are obtained - the "induced pluripotent stem," the iPS - are not exactly the same as those derived from human embryos - the "embryonic stem cells" or "esc" - and, above all, is not conceivable, for now, use them for experiments on humans (as is the case for the embryonic ones).
In 2007, when it was announced the discovery of Yamanka aroused huge expectations, because it promised to resolve all issues bioethics. The scientist of the 'Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences "of the Kyoto University had to turn back the hands of individual living cells, making them look younger to the point to become like those of the embryo but without destroying anyone. Moreover, Yamanaka was then able to reprogram cells and make them take the desired shape, such as those heart. Hers, then, was a masterpiece of genetic engineering. Now, after three years, the expectations generated by this discovery have been realized only partially. Stem cells are induced unstable and the process of 'reset' is still unclear for use in the human body, for example, for a transplant.
It 's a long road, but full of promise. It is no coincidence that Yamanaka will be in Rome tomorrow and will withdraw from the President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, the 2010 Balzan Prize for Biology. And to confirm that the outlook is open all is the fact that a further contribution to research will the same recognition. Yamanaka will donate half of the figure - one million Swiss francs - for scholars working in the field.
SOURCE: Emanuele Perugini (lastampa.it)
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