[release]A cure for diabetes could be sitting in our brains. Neural stem cells, extracted from rats via the nose, have been turned into pancreatic cells that can manufacture insulin to treat diabetes.
Beta cells in the pancreas produce insulin, which regulates glucose levels. People with diabetes either have type 1, in which native beta cells are destroyed by the immune system, or type 2, in which beta cells cannot produce enough insulin.
To replace lost or malfunctioning beta cells, Tomoko Kuwabara of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba Science City, Japan, and colleagues turned to neural stem cells in the brain.
[b]Nasal extraction[/b]
First, they extracted a tiny amount of tissue from the rats' olfactory bulb, the part of the brain which deals with smell, or from the hippocampus, involved in memory. Each area is accessible through the nose, both in rats and humans.
Next, the team extracted neural stem cells from the tissue and exposed them to Wnt3a – a human protein that switches on insulin production – and to an antibody that blocks a natural inhibitor of insulin production.
After multiplying the stem cells for two weeks, they placed them on thin sheets of collagen which act as a removable scaffold. This allowed the team to lay the sheets incorporating the cells on top of the rats' pancreas without harming the organ itself.
Within a week, concentrations of insulin in the blood of both type 1 and type 2 rats that had received treatment matched those in non-diabetic rats. Elevated blood glucose concentrations also returned to normal.
The cells successfully tackled diabetes for 19 weeks until researchers halted the treatment by removing the sheets of cells, after which the rats' diabetes returned.
[b]Natural change[/b]
Crucially, the cells did not have to be genetically manipulated outside of the body.
Many other labs around the world have tried altering stem cells from other parts of the body, including the gut, the liver and blood, to change them into beta cells. But these all require alterations or genetic manipulations which could pose safety concerns when transferring the treatment to humans.
Because the cells in the current study come from the same animal in which they are transplanted, they also overcome hurdles of rejection or the need for immunosuppressive drugs, such is the case when people receive donor pancreatic cells.
[b]No manipulation[/b]
The researchers believe that it would be safe to access neural stem cells in humans. "It would be possible to extract adult neural stem cells from the olfactory bulb surgically using an endoscope," they say, adding that other groups have already done such extractions, proving that they are practical.
"The most important improvement offered by this study is the derivation of insulin-expressing cells from diabetes patients without the need for genetic manipulation," say Onur Basak and Hans Clevers of the Hubrecht Institute for Development Biology and Stem Cell Research in Utrecht, the Netherlands, in a commentary published alongside the work (EMBO Molecular Medicine, DOI: 10.1002/emmm.201100178).
"It will be essential to validate these results in available human neuronal stem cell lines as well as patient-derived olfactory bulb neural stem cells," they add.
[i]Journal reference: EMBO Molecular Medicine, DOI: 10.1002/emmm.201100177[/i][/release]
[url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21019-diabetic-rats-cured-with-their-own-stem-cells.html] Source[/url]
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Stem_cell_treatments.svg/731px-Stem_cell_treatments.svg.png[/img]
Fuck whoever thinks this shit is immoral, it could fucking heal cancer and shit.
[QUOTE=LifeIsGood;32659580]Fuck whoever thinks this shit is immoral, it could fucking heal cancer and shit.[/QUOTE]
Why is it even considered imoral?
I've never really followed it, why is it so forbidden? It seems like it might help us in alot of stuff.
I seriously have no idea why people complain about stem cells, they're the future for us surviving.
Well there's no debate over the types of stem cells involved in the article, such as those taken from skin cells and such. It's the stem cells that are taken from fertilized eggs that are causing a big debate. Those are true stem cells and can be used to grow every kind of tissue, while stem cells from already created tissue are usually much more limited.
[QUOTE=dass;32659599]Why is it even considered imoral?
I've never really followed it, why is it so forbidden? It seems like it might help us in alot of stuff.[/QUOTE]
killing fetuses (abortions, miscarriages are two examples) is immoral because God said so.
i'm catholic but i support stem cell research to 100%, i'm sick of the "Immoral" people
Oh my god this is awesome, I'm fucking sick of this disease. Please don't disappear like every other cool science advancement.
I wouldn't even care if there were giant labs dedicated to fertilising artificial eggs and then harvesting them, because that would simply be taking advantage of a natural chemical process, something which we should have been doing for years now.
[QUOTE=dass;32659599]Why is it even considered imoral?
I've never really followed it, why is it so forbidden? It seems like it might help us in alot of stuff.[/QUOTE]
Embryonic stem cells are debated, not ones coming from your own (or someone else's) body.
[QUOTE=dass;32659599]Why is it even considered imoral?
I've never really followed it, why is it so forbidden? It seems like it might help us in alot of stuff.[/QUOTE]
It's considered immoral if they use embryonic stem cells, which requires the extraction of an undeveloped fetus. This, however, is completely safe and effective. I think it will take off if people get over the stigma.
[QUOTE=DireAvenger;32659903]I wouldn't even care if there were giant labs dedicated to fertilising artificial eggs and then harvesting them, because that would simply be taking advantage of a natural chemical process, something which we should have been doing for years now.[/QUOTE]
Whilst that sounds like a great idea, it also like something that would be really, really gross.
Like, something from one of the Quake games with the Strogg in them. Or maybe I just have a dark mind.
[QUOTE=dass;32659599]Why is it even considered imoral?
I've never really followed it, why is it so forbidden? It seems like it might help us in alot of stuff.[/QUOTE]
Because these rats could have lived their so long 1 year lifetime outside or be eaten by a cat !
These bastards are helping the human race with worthless over-numbered poor creatures :c
WE MUST KILL ALL LAB RATS SO FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL BE FREE
[/PETA]
[editline]7th October 2011[/editline]
As for stem cells, shit I don't know.
I find it interesting that based on which all sorts of illnesses they were able to cure, rats and mice have much more advanced medicine than us. Maybe we shoud try trade some knowledge with them.
We now have cures for cancer, HIV and diabetes. What now, science?
[QUOTE=dass;32659599]Why is it even considered imoral?
I've never really followed it, why is it so forbidden? It seems like it might help us in alot of stuff.[/QUOTE]
Because of something to do with 'killing babies'
Rats get all the nice cures :(
[QUOTE=DanTehMan;32659646]Well there's no debate over the types of stem cells involved in the article, such as those taken from skin cells and such. It's the stem cells that are taken from fertilized eggs that are causing a big debate. Those are true stem cells and can be used to grow every kind of tissue, while stem cells from already created tissue are usually much more limited.[/QUOTE]
Actually there is because people think they're all coming from dead babies.
Idiots.
Fuck religion/stupid people for demonizing it, this stuff is amazing. It's the key to the next door in human life extension and scientific progress.
WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE. As I look at that purdy picture, I realize a good third of everything listed on there I have or have a genetic predisposition to have.
... Holy shit. Stems cells are fucking awesome.
Oh shit we need to stop playing god or the last chapters of revelations will start coming true shit shit shit life is sacred help
[QUOTE=JustExtreme;32665557]Oh shit we need to stop playing god or the last chapters of revelations will start coming true shit shit shit life is sacred help[/QUOTE]
no
[QUOTE=JustExtreme;32665557]Oh shit we need to stop playing god or the last chapters of revelations will start coming true shit shit shit life is sacred help[/QUOTE]
why cant leviticus come true
i want to stone anyone who has a wet dream
[editline]7th October 2011[/editline]
and execute people who have mildew in their homes
[QUOTE=Spycrabz;32665681]why cant leviticus come true
i want to stone anyone who has a wet dream
[editline]7th October 2011[/editline]
and execute people who have mildew in their homes[/QUOTE]I once had a dream I was racing a 1968 GTO down the highway with a huge 120mm gun on it and I was blowing up like, fuckin' mafia drug lord ninjas in SUV's with rocket launchers all over the place. Just some insane shit, it was so over the top it could have easily been an 80's action movie, but as far as I remember I was the only character. Besides "Russian" extras dying left and right, of course. Anyway, I woke up to realize I had blown my load.
Does that count?
[QUOTE=dass;32659599]Why is it even considered imoral?
I've never really followed it, why is it so forbidden? It seems like it might help us in alot of stuff.[/QUOTE]
religion loves to hold the human race back
[QUOTE=Cadaver;32666446]religion loves to hold the human race back[/QUOTE]
Stop turning this into a religious debate, there isn't even controversy about this type of stem cell research,
Except every religious nut will call it immoral anyway because "God made us in his image, why change what is perfect?"
[QUOTE=lintz;32667210]Except every religious nut will call it immoral anyway because "God made us in his image, why change what is perfect?"[/QUOTE]
No they won't, the only people who will say that are the same people who are against vaccines and no one listens to them any way
[QUOTE=lintz;32667210]Except every religious nut will call it immoral anyway because "God made us in his image, why change what is perfect?"[/QUOTE]
and nobody will care
also i'm diabetic so this is kickin' rad
"Learning disabilities" eh?
This might be just what I need.
My German teacher in 9th grade once said that in some European countries stem cell research and other things along those lines were not nearly considered so horrid and bad. And they were actually allowed to work with them, but I don't know how true this is. I just think it's dumb to not research this, because you don't know what all it can do.
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