From the Korea Times: "Stem cells, or early-stage cells that retain the potential to turn into other specialized types of cells, are intriguing for their immense potential in treating a wide range of difficult diseases and conditions. And holding an important key to such innovations would be adult stem cells, which are taken from mature tissue, as they could theoretically be taken from patients, grown in culture and transplanted back into the patient without the fear of provoking an immune response. ... The downside of adult stem cells, however, is that they age much faster than embryonic cells, which has limited their usefulness in transplants. ... It has been presumed that the decreasing regenerative capacity of adult stem cells, which is linked to their aging, is a result of inborn genetic variations. But [researchers suggest] that the process isn't dictated by heritable events, such as DNA damage, but rather determined by an 'epigenetic' regulation of gene expression. ... There weren't many studies on finding micro-RNAs related to the aging of cells and learn how they affect stem cells, but this area could be important in developing a way to have adult stem cells retain their normal ability for a longer time."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2010/08/133_71494.html

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