Mercury News | 03/12/2004 | As stem cell research faces attacks, regenerative medicine grows: "Ultimately, these discoveries could usher in regenerative medicine. The idea is to turn a patients' skin cells into embryo-like cells that could be coaxed into growing into replacement tissue for failing organs.
The biggest game being stalked in this hunt is finding the still theoretical genes that launch creation of the human body from a single cell.
Scottish and Japanese researchers last year isolated an ``immortality gene'' in mice that allowed stem cells to grow indefinitely in the laboratory. They dubbed it Nanog, from the Celtic mythical land called Tir nan Og, where everyone stays young. The discovery hastened the race to find a similar human gene and prompted serious scientists to publicly discuss for the first time what they've been quietly pursuing for years.
``We are dreaming of finding that master gene in the egg,'' said Michigan State University researcher Jose Cibelli, a pioneer in cloning and stem cell science. ``The fountain of youth is in the egg.''
The goal of Cibelli and others is to reprogram cells to reverse the aging process -- until stem cells appear.
Embryonic stem cells are the most sought after stem cells. Created in the first days after conception, they give rise to the human body.
Scientists hope to harness this powerful ability of so-called undifferentiated cells to grow into replacements for lost or damaged cells in treating a wide range of ailments, from Alzheimer's disease to spinal cord injuries."
The biggest game being stalked in this hunt is finding the still theoretical genes that launch creation of the human body from a single cell.
Scottish and Japanese researchers last year isolated an ``immortality gene'' in mice that allowed stem cells to grow indefinitely in the laboratory. They dubbed it Nanog, from the Celtic mythical land called Tir nan Og, where everyone stays young. The discovery hastened the race to find a similar human gene and prompted serious scientists to publicly discuss for the first time what they've been quietly pursuing for years.
``We are dreaming of finding that master gene in the egg,'' said Michigan State University researcher Jose Cibelli, a pioneer in cloning and stem cell science. ``The fountain of youth is in the egg.''
The goal of Cibelli and others is to reprogram cells to reverse the aging process -- until stem cells appear.
Embryonic stem cells are the most sought after stem cells. Created in the first days after conception, they give rise to the human body.
Scientists hope to harness this powerful ability of so-called undifferentiated cells to grow into replacements for lost or damaged cells in treating a wide range of ailments, from Alzheimer's disease to spinal cord injuries."
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