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As good as embryonic stem cells

As good as embryonic stem cells Researchers find a virus-free way of turning adult cells into unspecialized stem cells

THE Obama government of the US recently lifted the 8-year ban imposed by the Bush administration on human embryonic stem cell research. The ban had come about because of an ongoing debate on the use of embryos for research. Funds were available only for research on embryonic stem cells that had already been created.

During the time such research was banned, scientists devised different ways of turning adult stem cells into cells which would act as embryonic stem cells. The importance of embryonic stem cells lies in the fact that they are unspecialized and have the ability to divide and differentiate into a diverse range of healthy cell types specialized for different functions.

However, the process required using viruses which integrate with the human genome and bring about the conversion. The viruses can also switch on cancer-causing genes. The lifting of the ban comes at a time when this problem has nearly been solved.

A team led by Andreas Nagy, at the Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada, discovered a virus-free way to make adult cells age backward to act as embryonic stem cells. This research might have great potential in the treatment of diseases like Parkinson

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