New stem cells easy and cheap

The production – and destruction - of human embryos to produce stem cells, with the hopes of treating degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, may be moving toward irrelevancy. In a study published in the journal Nature, adult cells were induced to pluripotency with a simple proceduce to act as stem cells which were capable of transforming into varied types of cells in the body. Researchers at the RIKEN research institute in Japan, with lead study author Haruko Obokata, employed a technique referred to as stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP).

Blood cells of newborn mice were soaked in a mildly acidic solution for 30 minutes, then returned to a standard cell culture medium. Those that survived this near-fatal shock were found to have been induced to pluripotency, the ability to become transformed into any type of cell in the body. Prior to this study, either embryonic cells were needed to obtain stem cells or more complicated methods involving genetic manipulation were required to induce pluripotency. The study authors noted that the technique required neither nuclear transfer nor the introduction of transcription factors. Rudolf Jaenisch, developmental biologist at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, remarked that “It’s quite surprising” that the technique “doesn’t involve any genetic manipulation”.

A gene only present in stem cells, known as Oct-4, was tagged with a fluorescent marker after being removed from mice spleens by Obokata and her team. They found that some white blood cells exposed to mild acid stress (pH of 5.7) survived and, after two days, some of the cells began to glow, indicating they had been transformed to stem cells. These were then injected into mouse embryos and, over time, became incorporated into all three germ layers of the embryo, indicating they were inheritable. After about a week, 20% of the cells survived and, of those, 30% reverted to a pluripotent state.

Though the researchers used white blood cells from mice in the majority of the experiments, the technique was also demonstrated to be effective when used with brain, skin, muscle, and other cells. Obokata noted that the efficiency of the cells decreased with the age of the mouse, raising the need for further development of the method for use with older patients. Nonetheless, Ernst Wolvetang, stem cell scientist at the University of Queensland in St Lucia, Australia, remarked that the method is so simple that it “will make reprogramming more accessible” for widespread laboratory use.

The STAP method draws on prior research with somatic, or differentiated, plant cells which have been known to revert to an immature state when placed under certain types of environmental stress. Conditions such as insufficient water or excessive heat can cause some plant cells to become capable of forming new plants. Obokata had previously conducted studies with plants and, in 2008, began subjecting mice cells to similar stressors to determine if animal cells may react similarly.

Commenting on the study, Chris Mason, professor of regenerative medicine at University College London, stated: “If it works in man, this could be the game changer that ultimately makes a wide range of cell therapies available using the patient’s own cells as starting material – the age of personalized medicine would have finally arrived”. Furthermore, if the new STAP method works in humans, it should also reduce or eliminate the genetic mutations that can occur in induced pluripotent cells derived from embryos.

References:
Haruko Obokata, “Stimulus-triggered fate conversion of somatic cells into pluripotency”, Nature, 505, 641-647, (30 Jan 2014).
Monte Morin, “New method makes stem cells in about 30 minutes, scientists report”, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan 2014.
Dennis Normile, “Acid Treatment Could Provide Breakthrough Stem Cell Technique”, Sciencemag.org, 29 Jan 2014.
Lanay Tierney, “Acid bath converts blood cells to stem cells”, BioNews, 3 Feb 2014.

Embryonic stem cells no longer needed?

Michael J. Fox, in an opinion published at cnn.com on September 8, 2010, advocated the “scientific freedom to pursue all promising paths to finding” treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, “move beyond political agendas and advance the promise of stem cell research.” [1] He noted that, two weeks earlier, a federal judge in the U.S. granted a preliminary injunction to halt federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

The promise of stem cell research is very encouraging for those with a variety of physical conditions including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, and others. However, the progress of this research seems to be discouragingly slow. The crucial issue involves whether an embryo is a human being – if so, then how can we justify using a live human for laboratory experiments.

Fortunately, whether life begins at conception may be a moot point in regard to stem cells. Numerous recent studies have shown that adult cells can be transformed into stem cells with the same regenerative capability as embryonic stem cells. Adult cells reprogrammed to become undifferentiated are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), the word “pluripotent” indicating the ability to become almost any of the other 220 cell types in the body.

One such study in the April 25, 2010 issue of the journal Nature reported that mice were able to be cloned from adult iPSCs. This is significant because, previously, only embryonic cells were capable of this. Investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Regenerative Medicine and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute found that a segment of chromosome 12 containing genes important for fetal development were turned off with most iPSCs. By closely comparing profiles of cell lines in embryonic and adult stem cells, the researchers identified the chromosome that was hindering the process. Once this was identified, the adult stem cells were just as effective as embryonic cells. The researchers found that “those iPSCs (with chromosome 12 activated) were as successful in producing live animals as embryonic stem cells have been”. [2]

This is only one of many research experiments involving stem cells. A number of recent studies have successfully produced adult pluripotent stem cells with the same capabilities as embryonic cells. An article, already written, with several of these studies highlighted will be posted soon to the informationaboutgod.com website. The bottom line: It is not necessary to create and destroy embryos - an early stage of human development - for scientific research. We sincerely hope, for Michael J. Fox and millions of others, that medical technology progresses expeditiously to the point of regenerating damaged cells and curing these debilitating diseases.

[1] Michael J. Fox, Special to CNN, “Michael J. Fox: Keep funding stem cell research”, CNN Opinion, 8 Sept 2010.
[2] Massachusetts General Hospital. "Gene Silencing May Be Responsible for Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells' Limitations."ScienceDaily, 29 April 2010. Web. 7 November 2010. .