Could philosophical and religious arguments over stem cell research be a thing of the past? According to Reuters, a new study out of Stanford University in California has shown mice skin cells can be made into neurons (nerve cells) using only three genes. The uses for this seem endless; Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, not to mention spinal cord or traumatic brain injury.Next step will be attempting to turn the cells into completely different types of cells for use in organs like the liver, pancreas and heart. This could treat cancer or diabetes, common ailments that plague the United States.
Think of all the time that's already been lost for patients with reduced quality of life and even death while we continue to debate the ethics of stem cell use. If this works in mice, the odds are it can be tweaked to work in humans as well and they're already trying. Will there be an outcry that we're playing God by changing the type of cell even if it's the person's own? I certainly hope not. I'm fairly certain many patients and their loved ones will see it my way, too.
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