1. La obtencin de clulas madre adultas a partir de clulas de la piel de un individuo adulto. Dos equipos cientfico japons y otro norteamericano lo han conseguido con tan slo insertar cuatro genes en clulas de piel. Dicho as, parece facilsimo por qu no se me habra ocurrido a mi antes? El siguiente paso, ya logrado en animales de experimentacin, consiste en conseguir que estas clulas madre (indiferenciadas, como las de un embrin muy temprano) se diferencien en clulas de cualquier tejido u rgano de un humano adulto. Aplicaciones futuras? Disponer de tejidos y rganos de repuesto para implantarlos en un paciente al que le falle, por el motivo que sea, el suyo original Qu te falla el pncreas y desarrollas una diabetes? O te fallan las neuronas dopaminrgicas y desarrollas un Parkinson? No habra problema: te extraemos unas celulitas de tu piel o sangre y al poco tenemos en el laboratorio un trozo de pncreas o tejido cerebral, que te insertamos, previa modificacin gentica que lo hace completamente sano. Dos ventajas adicionales: En primer lugar, se evitan los rechazos, la gran limitacin de los actuales trasplantes, pues el nuevo rgano procede de clulas del mismo paciente. Tambin se evita tener que recurrir a embriones (la otra fuente de clulas madre), perspectiva que generaba el rechazo de ciertos grupos de opinin. Seamos prudentes: tampoco es previsible que se logren a corto plazo los avances descritos, pero ya se vislumbran en el horizonte y nos prometen una revolucin casi inimaginable en el campo de la medicina. The obtaining of adult cells mother from cells of the skin of an adult individual. Two equipment scientific Japanese and another North American have obtained it with so only inserting four genes in cells of skin.Said so, it seems very easy why this would not have happened to me before? The following step, or obtained of experimentation animals, consists of obtaining that these cells mother (indiferents, as those of a very early embryo)they are different in cells from any weave or organ from an adult human. Future applications? To have weaves and organs of spare part to implant them in a patient to whom it fails to him, by the reason that is, the his original one. What fails the pancreas and you develop a diabetes to you? Or they fail the dopaminrgicas neurons to you and you develop a Parkinson? There would not be problem: we extract cells to you of your skin or bleeds and to little we have in the laboratory a piece of pancreas or cerebral weave, that we inserted to you, previous genetic modification that makes healthy completely. Two additional advantages: In the first place, the rejections , the great limitation of the present transplants are avoided, because the new organ comes from cells of the same patient. Also it is avoided to have to resort to embryos (the other source of cells mother), perspective that generated the rejection of certain groups of opinion. Let us be prudent: it is not foreseeable either that the described advances are obtained short term, but already they glimpse in the horizon and they promise an almost unimaginable revolution to us in the field of the medicine. Cultura Clsica TrabajosEurope Today: Ciencias --- ngel Guzmn Alcal. Febrero, 2008. Clulas madre Cells mother