Artificial Chromosomes in Stem Cells can Correct Genetic Defects
- Thread starter valich
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Artificial chromosomes were developed at Case Western University in 1998 but it wasn't until recently this year that a Korean scientist perfected the technique to be used to treat genetic defects in humans. This is truly a revolutionary discovery that has enormous implications for solving many human inherited defects and diseases.
From my limited understanding of it, they take the junk DNA out of the chromosome and leave the centromeres and telomeres intact. Then they reinsert this truncated chromosome into the cell cycle (gene-therapy vector) where it replicates more efficiently with the corrected protein. Case Western had limited success with this technique by inserting these synthetically altered human chromosomes into mice, but apparently the technique is now perfected by inserting them first in human stem cells where they replicate faster and replace the defective expressed protein.
You'll hear about this a lot in the next few years. I wonder if all genetic defects can be cured? I doubt it, but the skies the limit.
From my limited understanding of it, they take the junk DNA out of the chromosome and leave the centromeres and telomeres intact. Then they reinsert this truncated chromosome into the cell cycle (gene-therapy vector) where it replicates more efficiently with the corrected protein. Case Western had limited success with this technique by inserting these synthetically altered human chromosomes into mice, but apparently the technique is now perfected by inserting them first in human stem cells where they replicate faster and replace the defective expressed protein.
You'll hear about this a lot in the next few years. I wonder if all genetic defects can be cured? I doubt it, but the skies the limit.