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Thread: A new type of stem cell - STAPs |
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 3
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twilyth
Master Cruncher US Joined: Mar 30, 2007 Post Count: 2130 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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IPSs (induced pluripotent stemcells) are old news. But the process for creating them is difficult and you don't get the holy grail of stems - the embryonic variety. That may have just changed .
----------------------------------------Then, came the most stringent test: researchers injected the cells into an early mouse embryo to create a mixture, or “chimera.” As the mouse grew, the cells that had been treated with acid correctly formed all the tissue types in the adult animal. These chimeric mice were then successfully bred and produced healthy, normal offspring—derived from the original acid-treated cells. Stem cells can be used for everything from growing new organs to treating disease to human cloning.  |
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BladeD
Ace Cruncher USA Joined: Nov 17, 2004 Post Count: 28976 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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While STAPs appear to be a major breakthrough, this work must still be replicated in other labs and extended to cells from older mice and from humans. And, although we still aren’t sure exactly which type of stem cells will work best for which applications, one thing is clear: the potential that this field holds for advancing science and medicine is amazing—and getting more so all the time. WOW, very exciting stuff!! |
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twilyth
Master Cruncher US Joined: Mar 30, 2007 Post Count: 2130 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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It was indeed exciting but now it looks as if fraud may have been involved in this "discovery."
----------------------------------------The acid method of making a type of stem cells known as STAP cells (SN: 2/22/14, p. 6) came under fire as soon as it appeared in two papers in Nature at the end of January (SN Online: 2/19/14). Many researchers have tried and failed to repeat the feat (SN Online: 3/10/14). Other scientists have pointed out that some pictures in the reports appear to have been tampered with or repeated, and some passages of text are identical to parts of other publications. |
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