We will fulfill the five-year plan for stem cells!

Japan to spend $145 million to study artificial stem cells
Copper newsThe Japanese government has unveiled a five-year research plan for induced pluripotent stem cells, NHK reports.

Japanese scientists intend to start clinical studies of new methods of treatment using such cells within five years. In the current fiscal year, researchers will be allocated 14 billion yen ($145 million).

Induced pluripotent stem cells (IPS cells) are similar in properties to human embryo cells, but they can be obtained from various types of adult tissues by introducing additional copies of genes regulating cell differentiation into them. This method of obtaining makes IPS cells ethically impeccable material for research (the only source of embryonic stem cells are embryos, the use of which for scientific purposes is considered unacceptable by many).

One of the first induced pluripotent stem cells was obtained by a Japanese researcher from Kyoto University, Professor Shiniya Yamanaka.

Now IPS cells are obtained by introducing a gene-carrying virus into somatic cells. This virus persists in subsequent generations of cells. In addition, some of the genes, additional copies of which are necessary for cell transformation, are characterized by increased activity in the tissues of malignant tumors. All this makes the therapeutic use of new cells very risky. Japanese scientists promise to overcome these difficulties within two years.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru/25.06.2009