Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 14, NOVEMBER 24, 2008, THE ISLANDER
(News to Q-CeCv
The Best is Yet to Be
By Clark Gillespie M.D.,
Professor Emeritus, the University of Arkansas
Of Mice and Men - Stem cells
You and I, dear reader, are prime
examples of what a pleuripotential
embryonic stem cell can do. We are all
- good, bad, or indifferent - derived from
one single multi-tasking such stem
cell engineered to produce a reason
able copy of the couple who intimately
joined together to create that cell’s
building blocks.
This fundamental and incredible
single cell soon begins to divide, and
the embryonic stem cells (ESC) it thus
early-on produces are capable of devel
oping into any tissue that they are
called upon to create.
Consider, for instance, if its two
cells arising from the very first divi
sion somehow become separated, both
develop into complete humans and
thus, identical twins. Pretty powerful
ESCs!
Somewhat less magically capable
are adult stem cells (ASC) which we
all maintain in our bodies - mainly as
fibroblasts - and which differentiate
into mature cells comparable to the
organs around them. Thus bone mar
row ASCs, at home in our blood build
ing area, can differentiate into any
kind of blood cell need - but that’s it.
This limiting fact has lead early
researchers and potential therapists to
embrace just embryonic stem cells. In
the past few years, however, abundant
worldwide research has demonstrated
that, properly stimulated and booted
about, adult stems can attain many
of the therapeutic potentials of their
embryonic progenitor and that these
scientists can thus avoid the moral
disdain and criticism brought about by
our ESC perversion. This complicated
research - in which Japanese scien
tists have been the leaders - has been
accomplished in laboratories around
the world.
Largely used in this basic laboratory
work has been an entirely incredible
multitude of mice. In order to achieve
our human goals these little creatures
have been subjected to experimen
tal conditions and miserable burdens
to create, test, and certify the stem
cells we so earnestly desire. Thus, this
research history is clearly a juxtaposi
tion of mice and men.
Is the stem cell story of importance
to seniors? Clearly it is of vital impor-
Jr
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arlyle Chiropractic Clinic
1 Oth Annual Benefit Drive
Free CHIROPRACTIC Day
December 2
New patients donating 15 Items will receive
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December 2
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tance. Let’s just take one single and
classic example:
Parkinson’s Disease is confined
mainly to our ranks in that at least 2%
of us over 65 will succumb to its trem
ors, rigidity, and decreased mobility.
The disorder is caused by the degener
ation and loss of “dopamine” producing
brain neurons.
Several laboratories have been able
to develop neuron cells from ESCs
that regularly make this chemical and
have successfully introduced them into
mice brains. Incidentally, not all basic
research that is successful in mice can
be transferred to man.
So why not initially use us? You’re
joking. Anyway, Parkinsons Disease
it but one degenerative captor that
engulfs us seniors and which should
respond to stem cell reparation.
Returning to all basic stem cell biol
ogy, there are two fundamental charac
teristics that they possess. The first is
an ability to divide for great lengths of
time. Most cells - all normal body cells
- have a limited number of division
potentials before they expire or become
fixed. The abormal exception is cancer
cells which are more or less immortal
because they can divide forever - as
long as someone feeds them.
Stem cells, however, can go on nor
mally dividing way beyond the limits
set upon working body cells. This makes
them very valuable in the replacement
business when they are rebuilding a
tissue or organ structure with multiple
needs.
The second characteristic is their
ability - under special circumstances
- to evolve, with these appropriate
stimulations, into almost any cell-type
that such stimulation requests. This
capacity is incredible and is controlled
by a series of individual intra-cellular
gene reactions that you and I cannot
even talk about let alone understand.
Though we cannot expound upon
them over a beer or a game of bridge,
we must understand that their pleuro-
potential characteristics and capabili
ties are such that they may just alter
the face of medicine as we now know
it.
Because of the difficulty in obtain
ing an adequate and regular supply of
embryonic stems, and the moral storm
that proceeds with it, scientists have
been actively searching for an alterna
tive. Adult stem cells first were driven
to this goal by mice in 2006, and, final
ly, in us sometime during last year.
Called induced pluripotent stem cells
(iPS - that’s right - iPS) such cell are
modified from adult human fibroblast
cells which, as we have seen, are adult
stems (ASC).
Their manufacturing is, again,
beyond our understanding. It involves
treating ASC cells with retroviruses,
removal or suppression of certain genes
(blue genes?) while adding others. The
result of this incredible and complicat
ed work is an ASC that closely mimics
an ESC and can reproduce most all of
its miracles.
Now available for human research
work, the time is rapidly approaching
when controlled studies will release
these iPS miracles for the salvation o
our worn-out human parts and bodies.
Great promise exists in tissue and
organ rebuilding at anytime in a life
by the application of modified ASC
capabilities.
For example, immune-resistant
pancreatic ASC islet cells may banish
diabetesl from our midst, damage or
destroyed tissue and organs may be
rebuilt, or newborn embryonic defects
may be ASC corrected.
Most important to us and our bour
geoning senior gang is the vast replace
ment potential of modified ASC cells
to restore our abused and worn-out
parts.
Some private parts that we once
considered extremely important, may,
however, be way down upon, or may
not even make that restorative list. So
- no new ESCs from our gang! □
Health System Therapy Dog
to receive award for his 250th visit
Teeney, a 10-pound
male Tibetan spaniel
mix, will make his 250th
visit as a certified pet
therapist on Wednes
day, Nov. 26. to the
Brunswick Campus of
Southeast Georgia
Health System, 2415
Parkwood Drive, Bruns
wick.
Teeneyand hisowners,
Wiltz and Donna Ber
nard of Brunswick, will
arrive in the Parkwood
Drive lobby of the hos
pital at approximately
10:30 a.m. before visit
ing patients in Pedi
atrics, the Transitional
Care Unit, and Cardiac Rehabilitation.
For his six years of service as a certified therapy dog, Teeney, 9, will
receive the Therapy Dogs International Remarkable Volunteer Award.