The Raelian Movement
for those who are not afraid of the future : http://www.rael.org
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Scientific breakthrough to pave the way for human stem cell factories
http://www.physorg.com/news202577993.html
September 1, 2010
(PhysOrg.com) -- Large scale, cost-effective stem cell factories able
to keep up with demand for new therapies to treat a range of human
illnesses are a step closer to reality, thanks to a scientific
breakthrough involving researchers at The University of Nottingham.
Currently, stem cells are cultured using animal derived products that
encourage the cells to reproduce without losing their pluripotency —
their ability to be turned into any type of adult stem cell, whether
it be a cardio myocyte to be used in treating heart attack victims or
a bone cell for growing new bone to graft to a patient's own.
However, the potential for cross-species contamination and the
difficulty in reproducing these cells in large numbers means that
while they are useful as a research tool, a synthetic alternative
would be essential for the treatment of patients.
In a paper published in the September edition of Nature Materials, a
team of Nottingham scientists led by Professor Morgan Alexander in the
University's School of Pharmacy, reveal they have discovered some
man-made acrylate polymers which allow stem cells to reproduce while
maintaining their pluripotency.
Professor Alexander said: "This is an important breakthrough which
could have significant implications for a wide range of stem cell
therapies, including cancer, heart failure, muscle damage and a number
of neurological disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's.
"One of these new manmade materials may translate into an automated
method of growing pluripotent stem cells which will be able to keep up
with demand from emerging therapies that will require cells on an
industrial scale, while being both cost-effective and safer for
patients."
The research, a collaboration with colleagues Bob Langer, Dan
Anderson, Rudolf Jaenisch and Krystyn Van Vliet at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), involved using polymer microarrays —
standard scientific glass slides with 1,700 polymer spots on the
surface. Stem cells tagged with a fluorescent agent which allow them
to be seen were placed onto the polymer spots. The scientists were
then able to watch the stem cells and observe which polymers were most
successful at promoting the most growth while also maintaining the
pluripotency of the stem cells. Critically, in this paper the
influence of the material properties was investigated though analysis
of the polymer micro array spots.
More information: The paper 'Combinatorial development of biomaterials
for clonal growth of human pluripotent stem cells' will appear in the
September edition of Nature Materials and can be viewed online at
http://www.nature. … mat2812.html
Provided by University of Nottingham
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"Ethics" is simply a last-gasp attempt by deist conservatives and
orthodox dogmatics to keep humanity in ignorance and obscurantism,
through the well tried fermentation of fear, the fear of science and
new technologies.
There is nothing glorious about what our ancestors call history,
it is simply a succession of mistakes, intolerances and violations.
On the contrary, let us embrace Science and the new technologies
unfettered, for it is these which will liberate mankind from the
myth of god, and free us from our age old fears, from disease,
death and the sweat of labour.
Rael
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