Artificial red blood cells a step closer.Byline: ANI Melbourne, Aug 24 (ANI): A team of Australian scientists has genetically modified human embryonic stem cells to glow red when they develop into premature red blood cells Red blood cells Cells that carry hemoglobin (the molecule that transports oxygen) and help remove wastes from tissues throughout the body. Mentioned in: Bone Marrow Transplantation red blood cells . The breakthrough is seen as the next step in producing artificial blood. Dr Andrew Elefanty at Monash University in Melbourne and his colleagues inserted specific genes that code for colour, into the DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. of a manufactured stem cell line A stem cell line is a family of constantly-dividing cells, the product of a single parent group of stem cells. They are obtained from human or animal tissues and can replicate for long periods of time in vitro ("within glass"; or, commonly, "in the lab", in an artificial . Stem cells stem cells, unspecialized human or animal cells that can produce mature specialized body cells and at the same time replicate themselves. Embryonic stem cells are derived from a blastocyst (the blastula typical of placental mammals; see embryo), which is very young are the template from which all cell types in the body form. He says the coloured genes, known as 'reporters', highlight the emergence of certain cell types. "What we've said to the stem cells is when you're going to turn on the gene for globin globin /glo·bin/ (glo´bin) 1. the protein constituent of hemoglobin. 2. any of a group of proteins similar to the typical globin. glo·bin n. we want you to also turn on a red light," ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. Science quoted Elefanty as saying. He says fluorescing cells are a useful tool to help work out the best way to engineer specific cells. "We learn what the right growth enhancing substances are that the body normally uses and we put those into the laboratory," he said. Elefanty says fluorescing cells also allows scientists to monitor the cells when they've been injected into animals. "Sometimes it's not that easy to tell the difference between the ones you put in and the ones that were already there," he said. The researchers are hoping the development of glowing stem cell lines will help them work out how to develop mature red blood cells faster. However, Elefanty says they are still a way off producing artificial blood that could be used in human blood transfusions. He and his colleagues are working with Queensland researchers to develop ways to mature the cells, but there are still many issues to resolve. "We've got to make sure the cells are safe, that they don't keep growing and form tumours and that the immune system doesn't reject them," he said. The research has been published in today's edition of Nature Methods. (ANI) Copyright 2009 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion