Scientists Trick Cells Into Switching Identities

Name: Michael

Current Event Posting #: 2

Topic: Health

Title: "Scientists Trick Cells Into Switching Identities"

Writer: Malcolm Ritter

Publication Name: The Huffington Post

Date of Publication: 11/29/10

Length: 772 words

Scientific researchers such as John Gearhart of the University of Pennsylvania have accomplished an amazing feat which is a stepping stone in the world of cell research. They have learned how to take a specific type of cell in the body, and convert it into an entirely new type. In 2007 researchers first discovered how to take fully specialized and developed cells, such as skin cells, and were able to reverse the cell-aging process and make it into a state resembling embryonic stem cells. Because all cells contain the same DNA, the difference between which cells they become is in what parts of the DNA become activated. The scientists inserted chemicals which turned a certain portion of DNA on or off to create a different cell.

This research, although thus far only tried in mice, has great promise for healing the human body where it was previously thought to be permanently damaged. Although a long way from being proved to be safe, the door is definitely wide open for the future according to George Daley of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Hopefully this new science is refined and mastered soon, and will be able to help ailing people around the world.