Japanese and British Stem Cell Researchers Win Nobel Prizes

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Japanese and British Stem Cell Researchers Win Nobel Prizes

Although Dr. Lewis Obi is currently writing a chapter in a major textbook on stem cells, it should be emphasized that all of his work and research is around adult derived stem cells (ASC) and in no way related to cloning. As a proponent of ethical medicine, Dr. Obi would never cross established boundaries and include the use of embryonic cells. Adivive stem cell concentrated fat is a product of our own adult cells and is an enhancement of traditional fat grafting procedures that have been used for more than a century. With this prefix, we would now report important news announced only this week:

The Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Drs. John B. Gurdon (University of Cambridge in England) and Shinya Yamanaka (Kyoto University in Japan) on Monday, October 8, 2012. Their groundbreaking work with cell and organism development has opened the door to a plethora of laboratory studies that may aide on the development of treatment and cures for diseases such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers.

Dr. Gurdon’s Work With Intestinal Cells

Dr. Gurdon’s work proved that DNA from intestinal cells of frogs could be used to create new tadpoles. He was in fact the first to successfully clone a frog and discover the primitive cells from which mature cells develop.

Dr. Yamanaka’s Work With Mature Cells

Dr. Yamanaka discovered the ability to “reprogram” mature cells into immature cells - the equivalent of embryonic cells. With this research, it’s possible to avoid destroying embryonic stem cells and the controversy that surrounds.

Although Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka was excited about his achievements, he did however warn patients of unproven “stem cell therapies” endlessly being touted online claiming to heal or cure numerous diseases. In an interview, Dr. Yamanaka explained, “This type of practice is an enormous problem, it is a threat. Many so-called stem cell therapies are being conducted without any data using animals or preclinical safety checks.”

Dr. Lewis Obi is in agreement with Dr. Yamanaka’s caution. Stem Cell treatment centers in the United States are making premature claims of their efficacy. However, there is an enormous potential with adult derived stem cells (ASC) especially from fat and this is an area of study for medicine. In less than two years, Dr. Obi has pioneered this area of medicine with both cosmetic and reconstructive procedures.