China gets into the genetic breakthrough business
In a lab at the Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, research scientist Pei Duanqing has created stem cells from urine, a breakthrough that could help develop treatments for Parkinson's and other degenerative diseases.
"We were able to purify live cells from human urine and then reprogram them back in time, to the time when fertilization took place," Pei said. "That's the stage when the cell has the potential to regenerate all cells in our body. ... We should be able to generate the cells we need in the future, to build new tissues and organs."
Two decades ago, Dennis Lo, director of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, discovered that fetal DNA exists in a mother's bloodstream. He developed a noninvasive prenatal blood test for Down syndrome that is now available in more than 90 countries.
No comments:
Post a Comment