The term "stem cell"
was first used by the German zoologist Valentin Hacker in 1895 and was popularized the following year in Edmund B. Wilson's classic book, The Cell in Development and Inheritance.
Hacker used the term "stem cell" ("Stammzelle") to designate the cell in the early embryo of the crustacean Cyclops that gives rise to the primordial germ cells, the stem cells of the germ line (from WIRED News, September 2002)
Stem cells are clonogenic precursors whose daughters can either remain stem cells or undergo differentiation Team, lead by William Gibbons
(Jones Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A.)
has created early stage human embryos (called blastocysts) to harvest stem cells. The cells could be used for research into treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cancer. This news has been
reported by Tim Fried , USA TODAY, July 11, 2001, page 3A and by Aaron Zitner, Los Angeles Times (latimes.com), July 11, 2001. The scientific report is appeared on the journal Fertility and Sterility, July 2001
The versatility of adult stem cells: (i) "
Hepatocytes and Epithelial Cells of Donor Origin in Recipients of Peripheral-Blood Stem Cells " by Martin Körbling, Ruth L. Katz, Abha Khanna, Arnout C. Ruifrok, Gabriela Rondon, Maher Albitar, Richard E. Champlin, and Zeev Estrov
on the journal New England Journal of Medicine, 346 (10), 738 - 746 (2002)(ii) " Can human hemotopietic stem cells become skin, gut or liver cells? " by J.L. Abkowitz on the journal New England Journal of Medicine, 346 (10), 770 - 772 (2002)
Embryonic and adult stem-cell findings (i) "Dopamine neurons derived from embryonic stem cells function in an animal model of Parkinson's disease" by McKay, R et al. on: Nature 417, published online June 20, 2002
(doi:10.1038/nature00900)(ii) "Pluripotency of mesenchymal stem cells derived from adult marrow" by Verfaille, C.M et al., on: Nature 417
, published online June 20, 2002 (doi:10.1038/nature00870) Stem Cells Key to Diabetes Cure by Kristen Philipkoski in WIRED News, September 20, 2002 ( http://go.hotwired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,55239,00.html/wn_ascii
"Stanford University plans to create a private stem-cell institute", to make models for research on diseases (using a technique known as "nuclear transfer"), by
Marilyn Chase and Antonio Regalado on The Wall Street Journal Europe, December 12, 2002, A9 - - "Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) or therapeutic cloning involves removing the nucleus of an unfertilized egg cell,
replacing it with the material from the nucleus of a somatic cell ( a skin, heart, or nerve cell, for example), and stimulating this cell to begin dividing". First cloned baby "born on 26 December" -
15:30 27 December 02 NewScientist.com news service - Until January 7 (2003), no scientific evidence to the experiment has been published.
Cloning and Stem Cells - special report on NewScientist.com at : http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/cloning/
Human embryo cloning at Roslin Institute (Roslin, U.K.) - Scientists will use nuclear transfer to clone human embryos from patients with genetic diseases
[Genetic Engineering News 23 (10), 31 (2003)] "Derivation of oocytes from mouse embryonic stem cells"
by Karin Hubner et al, Science 300, 1251 - 1256 (2003) - Mouse embryonic stem cells in culture can develop into oogonia that enter meiosis,recruit adjacent cells to form follicle-like structures,
and later develop into blastocysts. Oogenesis in culture should contribute to various areas, including nuclear transfer and manipulation of the germ line and advanced studies on fertility treatment and germ and somatic
cell interaction and differentiation. "Stem cells: technologies for the future" by Margaret A. Goodell, BioTechniques 35 (6), 1232 (2003)
"Stem cells: Biology and Technology for the Future", a series of reviews , BioTechniques 35 (6), 1233 - 1279 (2003)
Human Clone Produces Stem Cells - Korean researchers have created a human clone and derived the first cloned stem cells from it -- a
significant advance toward using the cells to replace those damaged by diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer's. References: http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,62254,00.html/wn_ascii "Evidence of a Pluripotent Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line Derived from a Cloned
Blastocyst" by Woo Suk Hwang , Young June Ryu, Jong Hyuk Park, Eul Soon Park , Eu Gene Lee, Ja Min Koo, Hyun Yong Chun, Byeong Chun Lee, Sung Keun Kang, Sun Jong Kim, Curie Ahn, Jung Hye Hwang, Ky Young Park, Jose B.
Cibelli, Shin Yong Moon, Science 303 (5660) (2004) " Stem Cell and Cloning Controversies" - A Survey Report, by Isaac Rabino, Genetic Engineering News 24 (4) 6,9,26 (2004)
"Transplanted human fetal neural stem cells survive, migrate, and differentiate in ischemic rat cerebral cortex" by S. Kelly, T. M. Bliss, A. K. Shah, G. H.
Sun, M. Ma, W. C. Foo, J.Masel, M. A. Yenari, I. L. Weissman, N. Uchida, T. Palmer, and G. K. Steinberg PNAS published 27 July 2004, 10.1073/pnas.0404474101 http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0404474101v1?etoc "Stem Cell Treatment Improves Mobility After Spinal Cord Injury" by Hans Keirstead and his colleagues in the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at UC Irvine (CA, U.S.A.) - The Journal of Neuroscience (May 11) (2005)
A treatment derived from human embryonic stem cells improves mobility in rats with spinal cord injuries, providing the first physical evidence that the therapeutic use of these cells can help restore motor skills lost
from acute spinal cord tissue damage. "Pluripotency of spermatogonial stem cells from adult mouse tests" by Kaomei Guan, Karim Nayernia,
Lars S. Maier , Stefan Wagner, Ralf Dressel, Jae Ho Lee, Jessica Nolte, Frieder Wolf, Manyu Li, Wolfgang Engel and Gerd Hasenfuss - Nature (advance online publication) March 24 (2006)
Advanced Cell Technology announces technique to generate human embryonic stem cells that maintains developmental potential of embryo - "Human embryonic stem cell lines derived from single blastomeres"
by R. Lanza et al. , published on Nature on-line
(August 23, 2006) - see also the comment "Early embryos can yield stem cells...and survive - Could extraction technique resolve ethical problems?" by Helen Pearson - Nature 442 (7105), 858 (2006) -
Unfortunately the published data appear to be not correct. Sperm made from human bone marrow - Scientists say they have successfully made immature sperm cells from
human bone marrow samples. If these can be grown into fully
developed sperm, which the researchers hope to do within five years, they may be useful in fertility treatments. But experts have warned the findings from the German study should be interpreted with caution at this very
early stage. The research has been made by Prof. Nayernia and his team. The
scientific results have beeb published in the journal Reproduction: Gamete Biology (April 13, 2007).
via bbc news http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6547675.stm http://presszoom.com/story_129358.html
In vitro reprogramming of fibroblasts into a pluripotent ES-cell-like state -
by Marius Wernig, Alexander Meissner, Ruth Foreman, Tobias Brambrink, Manching Ku, Konrad Hochedlinger, Bradley E. Bernstein & Rudolf Jaenisch - Nature advance online publication 6 June 2007
Generation of germline-competent induced pluripotent stem cells - by Keisuke Okita, Tomoko Ichisaka & Shinya Yamanaka - Nature
advance online publication 6 June 2007 | Directly Reprogrammed Fibroblasts Show Global Epigenetic Remodeling
and Widespread Tissue Contribution
- by Nimet Maherali, Rupa Sridharan, Wei Xie, Jochen Utikal, Sarah Eminli, Katrin Arnold, Matthias Stadtfeld, Robin Yachechko, Jason Tchieu, Rudolf Jaenisch, Kathrin Plath, and Konrad Hochedlinger -
Cell Stem Cell, 1, 55-70 (2007) 
HFEA (Human Fertilisation & Embriology Authority) statement on its decision regarding hybrid embryos - 5 september 2007
" The decision on how the HFEA should approach the licensing of human - animal hybrids and chimera
research has presented a particular challenge as this research is so novel in legal, scientific and ethical terms." http://www.hfea.gov.uk/en/1581.html 
EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL Group Calls for Stem Cell Research Rules ( The Associated Press Tuesday, April 26, 2005; 10:16 PM, as quoted by
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/26/AR2005042600426.ht ml ). T
he new report recommends a set of standards for U.S. scientists to follow, in how researchers cull, store, distribute and use the valuable cells.Among the recommended guidelines:
- Donors must give their consent before their embryo could be used to produce stem cells and they should be told they have the right to withdraw their consent at any time before a stem cell line is
derived. In addition, donors should not be paid.
- Consent forms should inform the donor that embryos will be destroyed in the process of deriving stem cells and that the resulting cell lines may be
kept for many years
Donors should be told that research involving their stem cells may have commercial potential, but they will not share in any financial benefit.
An oversight committee should keep a registry of stem cell lines banked at an institution, which should include a proof of informed consent, a medical history of the donors, and a characterization of any
genetic markers on the cell lines.
Repositories of stem cell lines need a secure coding system to protect donors' identities.
No animal embryonic stem cells should be transplanted into a human embryo, and approval by a review committee should be secured before any human embryonic stem cells are put into an animal. No
human embryonic stem cells should be put into nonhuman primates.
The report also called for a national independent organization to periodically review stem cell research and determine whether guidelines need be updated (The President's Council on Bioethics: http://www.bioethics.gov/
; Institute of Medicine: http://www.iom.edu ; National Research Council:
http://www.nationalacademies.org/nrc )
Education material : "NWABR Stem Cell Teacher Workshop and Educator" http://www.wabr.org/education/stemcellforum.htm
"Genetic Science Learning Center - Stem Cells in the Spotlight" http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/
"Stem Cells" by Coleen Swihart ( Biology Teacher, Canby High School, 721 SW Fourth Avenue, Canby, OR 97013, U.S.A. ) http://www.canbyhs.canby.k12.or.us/chsstaff/~swihartc/Stem_Cells.html California Stem Cell Report at
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/ . The California
Stem Cell Report is the only website devoted solely to the California stem cell agency, other than the official government site. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, as the
agency is known, is the largest single source -- $3 billion -- of stem cell research funding in the world (
http://www.blogger.com/profile/1737060 ) Stem cells in the spotlight at
Genetic Science Learning Center Univ. Utah (U.S.A.) http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/stemcells/index.cfm
Biosolutions - a new animation about Stem cells, at http://tinyurl.com/3cdyut
Embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells: advantages and disadvantages regarding potential use for cell-based regenerative therapies - The Montegen's Pocket Science 11 (2007)
(reference: Stem Cell Information at http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics5.asp ) 2007 - Medicine Nober Price: the winners are: Mario Renato Capecchi (U.S.A.), Oliver
Smithies (U.S.A.), Martin G. Evans (U.K.)"for their discoveries of principles for introducing
specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells" (
http://nobelprize.org/ ). The gene targeting technology.
2007 (November) - Reprogramming ordinary human skin cells - Two research teams say they appear to have successfully turned ordinary human cells (skin cells) into powerful stem
cells, which could permit breakthrough medical treatments. Transforming an adult's cells back into stem cells would offer a way to create personalized stem cells for each patient,
eliminating the complication of having a patient's immune system reject stem cells from a foreign source. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen whether the newly minted stem cells are
really as good as those from embryos. The details will be publishen on two papers that will be published on Cell and Science , respectively. ( http://www.world-science.net/othernews/071120_stemcell.htm ) LEGISLATING STEM CELLS "Legislating stem cells" by Ed Silverman, The Scientist 19 (6), 39 - 41 (2005) "Stem cells issues around the world" by William Hoffman, MBBNET (at: http://mbbnet.umn.edu/scmap.html ).
"Advancing Stem Cell Science Without Destroying Human Life" (January_2007)
"Advancing Stem Cell Science Without Destroying Human Life" (April_2007) at the web site http://www.whitehouse.gov/dpc/stemcell/2007/index.html
|
