The First Step Towards Simple and Bioethically Accepted Stem Cell Research

In my last blog post, I wrote about how stem cells could possibly benefit our lives. For anyone that didn't read it, here's a quick recap: stem cells are pluripotent, meaning that they can become any type of cell. Their "on and off switches" have not yet been set, and Sir John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka received a Nobel Prize for resetting the switches in matured cells, thus making mature cells into stem cells.

I recently read the article Scientists discover a new, simpler way to make stem cells by Carolyn Johnson. It describes a new technique developed by Haruko Obokata and Dr. Charles Vacanti that has similar results to the method of Sir Gurdon and Yamanaka, but is far simpler. This new technique is to bathe matured cells in an acid bath until the environmental stress turns the cells into STAP cells.

In 2001, Dr. Vacanti discovered a way to turn matured cells into STAP cells, but his lab was highly ridiculed and he decided to keep it to himself. Eight years later, Haruko Obokata showed up at his lab and began working with Vacanti to learn about STAP cells. They discovered that the cells were produced when matured cells were stressed by environmental conditions.

STAP cells are a type of stem cell that, though they don't multiply indefinitely and don't live as long, are similar to stem cells from embryos. However, it was found that when put into petri dishes with the right growth medium, STAP cells behave just like embryonic stem cells. Yamanaka stated that "From a practical point of view toward clinical applications, I see this as a new approach to generate iPS-like cells". [iPS cells are embryonic stem cells]. The director of the stem cell transplantation program that Boston Children's Hospital, Dr. George Q Daley, said "Its a startling result that makes you stand up and go, 'Wow!' with an equal dose of amazement and skepticism."

This article made it quite clear that STAP cells may be the future for stem cell research. Although they are not quite as amazing as iPS cells, they are similar and are far easier to create. Also, there was quite a lot of controversy over embryonic stem cells, and this new technique completely changes where the cells can be taken from, thus limiting the bioethical concerns. They are truly the future for stem cell research.

I think that this research should be continued. As I mentioned in my last post, stem cells can help regrow lost tissue and organs for those who need an organ transplant but are hard to match with donors. I am amazed at how simple it is to create STAP cells, and the possibilities that are now created with our new technique to create STAP cells. This simple technique is how we will rewrite the programming in cells, and how we will write the future for medicine. There is still a lot of research to be done, but this is the first step.