Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Stem Cell Researchers Receive Nobel Prize
This year's Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was awarded to
two researchers for their work showing that mature, specialized
cells can be reprogrammed into stem cells.
The findings by British researcher John Gurdon and Japanese
researcher Shinya Yamanaka is being used by scientists to try to
find ways to create replacement tissues for treating diseases such
as diabetes and Parkinson's, and for laboratory research studying
the causes of diseases, the
Associated Pressreported.
In announcing the award Monday, the prize committee said the two
researchers' work "revolutionized our understanding of how cells
and organisms develop."
In 1962, Gurdon showed that the DNA from specialized cells of
frogs, such as skin or intestinal cells, could be used to generate
new tadpoles. The findings showed that DNA still had its ability to
drive the formation of all cells of the body, the
APreported.
In 2006, Yamanaka showed that a relatively simple process could
turn mature cells back into primitive cells, which in turn could be
coaxed into becoming different kinds of mature cells.
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