China makes breakthrough in stem cell research

Chinese researchers have found a new method to transform ordinary pig cells into powerful stem cells which could help treat organ failure. According to a study published in the Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, the cells taken from the ear and bone marrow of a 10-week-old pig using a virus are reprogrammed and transformed into colonies of embryonic-like stem cells, capable of producing different organs. Researchers are hoping to use these embryonic stem cells to modify immune-related genes in pigs, making the pig organ compatible with the human immune system. Modifying pig genes can also help researchers create models for human genetic diseases including diabetes. The pig model, thereafter, can be used to develop new treatments for the disease. "The research could open the way to creating models for human genetic diseases, genetically engineering animals for organ transplants for humans, and for developing pigs that are resistant to diseases such as swine flu," concluded Xiao Lei, the head of the stem cell lab at the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology.