Interesting articles on Stem Cells in Slate Magazine

July 29, 2005

http://slate.msn.com/id/2123269/entry/2123270/

This article ran all week, and covered the technology of creating organs.

They give all of the stem-cell related science, and how it has been applied

in non-human cases. Makes a real case that kidney tissue possible of

transplantation could be created from your own skin cells via the use of an

embryonic host cell. Think -- if you are your own donor, then there is no

need to take anti-rejection drugs...

Walt

July 30, 2005

Hi Walt,

Thanks for posting this. In addition to organ regeneration, there's other

important benefits. One of the " low hanging fruit " in terms of disease

treatment from stem cells has long been thought to be diabetes. JDRF

(Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund) felt so strongly about this they were the

first million dollar contributor to Prop 71 (the California stem cell

initiative that puts three billion into stem cell research). Even if JUST

diabetes is cured, the pool of available kidneys for the rest of us is

enormously increased. Rising water raises all boats.

Cy

Interesting articles on Stem Cells in Slate Magazine

> http://slate.msn.com/id/2123269/entry/2123270/

>

> This article ran all week, and covered the technology of creating organs.

> They give all of the stem-cell related science, and how it has been

> applied

> in non-human cases. Makes a real case that kidney tissue possible of

> transplantation could be created from your own skin cells via the use of

> an

> embryonic host cell. Think -- if you are your own donor, then there is no

> need to take anti-rejection drugs...

>

> Walt

>

July 30, 2005

Interesting thought, Cy. I had read that the technology of treating

diabetes potentially is simpler than having to generate a replacement

organ - apparently something like injecting " islet cells " which will

allow the pancreas to produce insulin. At any rate, I hadn't thought

about the impact on the kidney transplant waiting lists, which would

be terrific.

Betsy

> Hi Walt,

>

> Thanks for posting this. In addition to organ regeneration, there's

> other

> important benefits. One of the " low hanging fruit " in terms of

> disease

> treatment from stem cells has long been thought to be diabetes. JDRF

> (Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund) felt so strongly about this they

> were the

> first million dollar contributor to Prop 71 (the California stem cell

> initiative that puts three billion into stem cell research). Even

> if JUST

> diabetes is cured, the pool of available kidneys for the rest of us is

> enormously increased. Rising water raises all boats.

>

> Cy

>

July 30, 2005

Cy & Walt....

One of the interesting complexities surrounding using de-differentiated or

undifferentiated cells (i.e. stem cells) to " build, " a kidney is the

morphology or structure of that organ. In other words, the function of the

kidney, unlike most hard organs, is heavily dependant on the physical

arrangement of various cell types in space (Bowmans capsule, etc.).

Generating a functional liver " block " that could be transplanted (or islet

cells for that matter) does not bear this morphological constraint.

However, before one frowns.....and believe this or not....several

researchers are working on exactly the problem I outline....by using

sprayers from inkjet printers; different cell types (i.e. vascular, liver,

etc.) along with a " glue, " to physically build, in three dimensions, the

requisite morphology. To mimic a kidney in this fashion will require much

more granular resolution than 600 dpi or so (around 2500 dpi as a typical

cell size is 100 microns) but I imagine, given time, money, and energy,

these folks will get there. Interestingly, too, the glue they have designed

actually facilitates the cellular amalgamation seen in native as opposed to

chimeric tissue.

What we need now of course is vigorous support of stem cell research at

every level, and I applaud Arnold for taking up this cause despite his

Republican focus. With any luck (and the right constitutional amendment) he

may challenge the Big Girl in 2008.

Needless to say, this is an exciting time for bioresearch, and when I read

the above mentioned article a few months back I was amazed at our collective

ingenuity as a species.

In any case, hard drive problems are solved and I am glad to be back!

Cheers,

Bart

Re: Interesting articles on Stem Cells in Slate Magazine

Hi Walt,

Thanks for posting this. In addition to organ regeneration, there's other

important benefits. One of the " low hanging fruit " in terms of disease

treatment from stem cells has long been thought to be diabetes. JDRF

(Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund) felt so strongly about this they were the

first million dollar contributor to Prop 71 (the California stem cell

initiative that puts three billion into stem cell research). Even if JUST

diabetes is cured, the pool of available kidneys for the rest of us is

enormously increased. Rising water raises all boats.

Cy

Interesting articles on Stem Cells in Slate Magazine

> http://slate.msn.com/id/2123269/entry/2123270/

>

> This article ran all week, and covered the technology of creating organs.

> They give all of the stem-cell related science, and how it has been

> applied

> in non-human cases. Makes a real case that kidney tissue possible of

> transplantation could be created from your own skin cells via the use of

> an

> embryonic host cell. Think -- if you are your own donor, then there is no

> need to take anti-rejection drugs...

>

> Walt

>

July 30, 2005

Bart:

I'm familiar with some of this research, as I follow the research in

Langer's lab at MIT (he is my best friend's brother-in-law). He's been

doing this structural work for some time, and has stated the same thing as

you -- that resolutions will have to get very good to create a kidney.

What was interesting about the Slate article is that in days 3, 4, and 5,

they go into the potential for growing kidneys from embryonic stem cells

in-vivo/in-vitro, which however would require allowing work on embryonic

cells beyond day 14, which is currently not allowed. According to the

article, if allowed to develop to 5 to 7 weeks, you get cell

differentiation, and then cells that can be moved to in-vitro which will

continue to develop properly.

I fear that we are a long way from allowing this kind of work -- at least in

this country. However, be assured that the Asians will not be held up by

these ethical issues.

Walt

_____

From: iga-nephropathy

[mailto:iga-nephropathy ] On Behalf Of Bart Hawkins

Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2005 12:27 PM

To: iga-nephropathy

Subject: RE: Interesting articles on Stem Cells in Slate Magazine