[extropy-chat] BIO: Stem Cell Genes

[Dirk Bruere]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Davis" <jrd1415 at yahoo.com>
To: "ExI chat list" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2003 9:32 PM
Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] BIO: Stem Cell Genes


> --- "Robert J. Bradbury" <bradbury at aeiveos.com> wrote:
> > 
> > Voila -- retrodifferentiation -- turn adult cells
> > back into stem cells.  Back of the envelope guess --
> 
> > 3 to 5 years.
> 
> Too slow.  Try yesterday.
> 
> We're in the moment of "low-hanging fruit",
> genomically speaking, and the "tree" is groaning under
> its burden.  (Would that be "the tree of life"?  ;-} )
> 
> >From Eurekalert:
> 
> http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-12/sri-rct122203.php
> 
> Regenerative chemical turns muscle cells into stem
> cells
> 
> A group of researchers from The Scripps Research
> Institute has identified a small synthetic molecule
> that can induce a cell to undergo
> dedifferentiation--to move backwards developmentally
> from its current state to form its own precursor cell.
> 
> These precursor cells are multipotent...
 

The big question IMO is whether these are 'old' stem cells.
What's the state of their 'clock'?

Dirk

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