Scientists can now convert human blood samples into nerve cells

Posted by $ AJAshinoff 10 years, 3 months ago to Science
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As fascinating as its implications are frightening.

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  • Posted by $ blarman 10 years, 3 months ago
    So correct me if I am wrong, but it looked like the primary use of these was to develop testing mechanisms to deal with specific patients' neurological problems. It didn't look like they could be directly used as a treatment regimen quite yet. Still pretty cool, just wanted to make sure I didn't read the article incorrectly.
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  • Posted by WilliamCharlesCross 10 years, 3 months ago
    This is very cool stuff. The direct result of this kind of breakthrough is expanded testing of possible treatments for nerve problems. The big "however" is that the move to actual use of stem cells in the body, to regenerate nerves and/or neurons, is a huge step.

    Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have a ready supply for all the different kinds of research that will follow. Think decades, and billions of dollars, to get to real-life therapy.
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  • Posted by $ Olduglycarl 10 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    It's pure irony...it is "progressives that are anti science and actually, anti progress as well. Progress in progressive speak means 'forward to the past'. Back when we were preconscious slaves and they were the 'ordained' rulers for life.
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  • Posted by $ jdg 10 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I hope the above is a joke. If not, it's anti-science and anti-progress.
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  • Posted by $ Thoritsu 10 years, 3 months ago
    Cool. The CNS is unbelievably adaptable, but not where physical gaps or significant damage exists.
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  • Posted by johnpe1 10 years, 3 months ago
    this is fascinating! . my wife spends 95 percent of
    her life, these days, in bed. . pain in her lower spine
    is the culprit. . she has tried lots of pain meds, from
    morphine to fentanyl to ... well, this may help her!!!
    Thank You, AJ!!! -- j
    .
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  • Posted by $ jlc 10 years, 3 months ago
    Yay! I have been watching (and studying) advances in stem cell engineering for nearly a decade. The two cell types it was most difficult to create from peripheral blood have been neural and hepatic. Now it seems that both of those are possible.

    If you get autologous stem cell treatment (your own cells reconditioned) you do not need to be on immunosuppressants for the rest of your life.

    Jan, (doing mycology CE this year; will have to do stem cells again 2 years from now)
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  • Posted by woodlema 10 years, 3 months ago
    When I read this, my first thought was this would make repairing severed nerved possible allowing those paralyzed by nerve damage the possibility of walking again.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 10 years, 3 months ago
    It's learning about stuff like this that makes me want to live forever. To observe the positive progress of man. If only humans could get rid of the political crap....
    Oh well, I guess I'll stick around until I face the inevitable.
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  • Posted by $ Olduglycarl 10 years, 3 months ago
    Oh, that's all we need...more drugs; doing for the body or doing in spite of the body that which, if empowered, the body could very well do for itself. When will these creatures ever learn. Just say NO, to allopathic treatments.
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  • Posted by $ AJAshinoff 10 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    and we've seen no shortage of those ethically challenged people in society or the world. Sad but true.
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  • Posted by $ jbrenner 10 years, 3 months ago
    The implications are only frightening if such technology gets into the hands of ethically challenged individuals. The opportunities that this work presents will be plentiful.
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  • Posted by $ jbrenner 10 years, 3 months ago
    Dr. Bhatia is one of the authors of one of the better tissue engineering textbooks. People have been able to reverse engineer adult stem cells since 2007. Being able to do that with blood cells makes the sample acquisition considerably easier, and more importantly, doesn't require separation from any virus killing white blood cells. Thus, one's immunities carry over to the new tissue. This has been a secondary, but not trivial issue, in recent years.
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