Many people think that just because I am not a fan of many so-called advances in medicine that I am not a fan of medical technology. Its not true. I am a huge fan of technology — especially technology that can actually repair cells instead of suppressing their dysfunction. And now theres a new technology that may make a huge difference in diabetes and other diseases.
As you may know, science is working hard with stem cells. These are primitive cells with the potential to grow into many different lines of mature cells. But they are controversial. Many stem cell lines are harvested after an abortion, which is a hotly debated topic. Other, less controversial lines of stem cells come from umbilical cord blood. But regardless of where the stem cells come from, the work is tedious.
The goal with injected stem cells is to see them go to damaged sites and transform into mature functioning cells. Now, an astounding advance may ultimately make stem cells obsolete in many cases.
We know that primitive stem cells grow and mature into adult cells. Its been thought that the change is irreversible. However, we also know that every one of your cells has the same DNA as the next. Its just that some DNA is turned off, and other DNA turned on in different types of cells.
Suppose we took two closely related cells, such as digestion cells and insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. The cells come from the same organ, but they are different cells. The insulin cells (Islet cells) are like diamonds — very precious and vulnerable. The digestion cells are abundant. And it turns out that they are so closely related that only a few operating genes separate them. That is important.
Scientists have just learned how to convert the abundant digestion cells of the pancreas in mice into Islet cells and greatly relieve (but not cure) their diabetes. It involved throwing only three crucial DNA molecular switches.
This research is not ready for you to use yet. But it lends great hope. It may prove a Godsend for diabetics in whom there is an abundance of Islet cell cousins in their livers and pancreas that could be converted to produce insulin. In your brain, it could prove possible to convert certain brain cells into others to help Parkinsons or Lou Gehrigs disease. This is the kind of research I yearn for — correcting biochemistry at the source — not chemical suppression of symptoms. Lets hope that this type of research continues.
Ref: Washington Post, August 28, 2008.