Stem Cell Research.
This thing is exciting. Even Bush is excited. See?One year ago a team in Kyoto, Japan successfully reprogrammed normal mouse skin cells into embryonic stem cells. I read the paper some months back; it was a Cell paper and hmms as you can imagine the amount of data presented was overwhelming.
I will spare you the technical stuff - although I still can't remember everything even after lab meeting discussions and class discussions. Basically they turned on 4 stem-cell genes in these normal cells and through some miracle they became stem cells. Sounds simple: but they had to choose which genes to play with, put them into the cell, make sure the cells really became stem cells... That's why it's a Cell paper. I still remember being quite amazed by it.
Now that original Kyoto team and a team from Wisconsin repeated the same thing in human cells. Those iPS cells are going to give them their Nobel Prize sooner or later - if their results can be repeated.
Basically everyone is excited. Today Molecular Biology class was completely spent on discussing the two papers. This technology, if indeed valid, will solve the ethnical problems surrounding stem cell research and also solve the problem regarding rejection by the immune system.
This is an artificial process, of course, as the 'de-differentiation' of cells in natural settings is still pretty controversial. There are also potential problems with the technology: it involves turning on a cancer-causing gene called c-myc. Also, it involves the use of retroviruses - they are not known to be a safe vector that can be used in humans - a safer gene delivery system might be needed. Among others.
Alright enough of stem cells. Back to p53.
And HERO exam next week! Not doing very well so far... Must practise more :P
(Don't seem to be doing very well this semester anyway... Sigh as long as my GPA won't drop below critical level I really shouldn't think too much. Like Kai said, getting A- in a writing class is already extremely good for Asians like us. Even Grace's was around there. I really shouldn't think too much :P)
Labels: Random, Studies and Career
