Given that I am still suspended with pay, I have more time to read scientific journals. When I was on the job, outside of teaching Research Methods and a Theory class, lecturing around the country on prison health, writing grants and publishing scientific papers, I rarely had time to read scientific journals as I would have liked. Sure I did, but on my free time my preferences was to consume newspapers, books of history and fiction.Recently I read an article that caught my attention in the Journal Cell. To summarize it, it revealed that skin cells could be used to make embryonic stem cells. This was without the use, need or requirement of an human embryo. This was amazing to me. I mean, just by adding 4 genes to a skin cell, they could be made in essence "Tab-la rasa" to develop any of the 220 known cell types of the human body (so much for the debate on stem cell research based on the creation and destruction of human embryos for the same purpose). These cells were named pluripotent stem cells.
Now this is why I love science and always wanted to be one, outside of Mr. Wizard and Mary Shelly. Namely because science forces one to make use of prior information and think outside the box - such to create just as writing does.
Dr. Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University of Japan and the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease in San Fransisco (in picture), found out he could try and do this procedure in mice. Taking it a step further, showing he could make these cells into any type of mouse cell, he used the cells he made to create 20 new mice. Although about 20 percent of the mice developed some form of cancer - he showed and did it.
I know that the replication studies in humans is some ways off, not to mention such studies in the mind of this humble scientist would have to be preceded by studies that show the procedure can be employed to make the 220 know human cell types in vitro first. Even with all of this, i do not think the debate on stem cell research is over. There is always room for the "holier than thou" to ad their two cents in two forms I figure. First President Bush, whose megalomania will lead him to say that he is responsible for the discovery via his policies that cut funding for human embryonic stem cell research and second, those who were against such research for theological reasons, who now will move the debate to saying only God can make life and man should not, even in the name of disease prevention and treatment, even if it from skin cells. Swear to Blog, i mean God.
