A team of researchers from the New York Stem Cell Foundation has managed to create the first line of speech stem cells specific for a specific disease, diabetes in this case as published by Nature magazine.
The fact of mentioning that the cells are diploid has its importance: in 2011 it was about creating this same cell line but triploid cells were obtained.Why is this not good?Because human cells are diploid, that is, they have two games of chromosomes, in the case of triploid cells, three games of chromosomes would contain something that is not viable in the human being.
The technique used has been the nuclear transfer of somatic cells (SCNT) that has consisted of transferring the skin cells of the skin of a healthdonor.
The same technique used in 2011 but on this occasion they have managed to get the cells diploid.This is the first reported study that involves the creation of a line of diploid stem cells through the stem cells of a human being that has already been born.
stem cells to treat type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a weakening disease that consists in the loss of beta cells of the pancreas that are insulin producers.The immune system of type 1 diabetes itself attacks and eliminates these cells.
The objective of this study has consisted of obtaining specific stem cells from a type 1 diabetes patient that could increase the number of beta cells they had lost during the disease.
According to the study leader, Dr. Egli, a NYSCF researcher, obtaining these stem cells makes it closer to treating patients with diabetes with their own insulin producing cells .In addition, they have managed to transform stem cells into pancreatic beta cells, a great achievement in the progress against this disease.
Among the aspects considered by researchers as successful factors stand out:
- The maintenance of the integrity of the plasma membrane of the cells
- Addition of histone deacetilasa inhibitors
- Efficient protocols for Oocito Activation (ovule)
There are more methods for obtaining embryonic stem cells and these findings expand the possibilities of study so they are not only beneficial by what it means for diabetic patients.
In addition, being stem cells can become any other cell type: neurons, hepatocytes, ... and serve as a way for the treatment of many other diseases that affect the human being.
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Image credit: New York Stem Cell Foundation