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Cells, Microbes & Viruses / Can cancer stem cells be reverted or reprogrammed to become healthy stem cells?
« on: 03/12/2007 23:09:37 »
Hello,
I was reading an article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/science/21stem.html
about how a Japanese scientist has created stem cells from skin cells. My question is could it be possible to get the cancerous stem cells that are apparently at the centre of all tumour development to reset or reboot themselves and become healthy stem cells by using this scientist's technique or a similar one? He added four genes to a skin cell to make it become a stem cell.
I am not sure about this but presumably the cancerous stem cells at the centre of a tumour once were healthy stem cells servicing the workings of some organ in the body but which became corrupted and cancerous. If they could be reset to their original form then maybe the stem cells would stop building the tumour and restart the functions they had when they were healthy stem cells.
Another good article on stem cells possibly being the key to curing cancer is here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/health/21canc.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=1&adxnnlx=1196722450-kih54H1/PwFzTw0nAnpebw
It mentions targeting the cancerous stem cells with treatments rather than just treating the regular cancerous tissue cells.
Thanks
Al
I was reading an article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/science/21stem.html
about how a Japanese scientist has created stem cells from skin cells. My question is could it be possible to get the cancerous stem cells that are apparently at the centre of all tumour development to reset or reboot themselves and become healthy stem cells by using this scientist's technique or a similar one? He added four genes to a skin cell to make it become a stem cell.
I am not sure about this but presumably the cancerous stem cells at the centre of a tumour once were healthy stem cells servicing the workings of some organ in the body but which became corrupted and cancerous. If they could be reset to their original form then maybe the stem cells would stop building the tumour and restart the functions they had when they were healthy stem cells.
Another good article on stem cells possibly being the key to curing cancer is here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/health/21canc.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=1&adxnnlx=1196722450-kih54H1/PwFzTw0nAnpebw
It mentions targeting the cancerous stem cells with treatments rather than just treating the regular cancerous tissue cells.
Thanks
Al