In 2007, a paper by a molecular biologist, Shinya Yamanaka, in Japan appeared in Cell claimed that they had made embryonic stem cells from adult cells by simply putting 4 genes in skin cells, which they called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). If Shinya Yamanaka had been to College, he should know that the appearance of embryonic factors, genes, or phenotypes in adult cells is text book definition of abnormity or phenotype for cancers. If anyone has the time to read the paper for some details of Yamanaka’s claim, you would find Yamanaka did just that, he put 4 proliferative embryonic genes into adult cells using molecular biology methods that have been established for decades and simply showed his cell products expressed embryonic tumor/cancer markers and formed teratomas, phenotypes for tumors or cancers. His entire paper in Cell has no data or characterization showing his cell product has any stem cell phenotype, except the iPS name has something to do with stem cells.
Since Cell is recognized as peer-reviewed top Journal, the iPS cells went unchecked all over the world, hailed as the biggest breakthrough of stem cell research, won numerous awards and brought millions of Funding (taken away from embryonic stem cell research) for Yamanaka, and even worse, used by the opponents of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. Yamanaka quickly rose to become the vice president of International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), and even had a committee to campaign for Nobel Prize for him. In 2010, the ISSCR meeting in San Francisco hailed iPS cells as the future of stem cells, and ensured Yamanaka’s glory by censoring scientific presentations of hESCs. Afterwards, ISSCR quickly downgraded “supporting human embryonic stem cell research” to “supporting all forms of stem cell research”, even deleted the title of human from embryonic stem cell research. Imagine all the ISSCR committee members cover their eyes and say “we are not humans”. However, my friends, I am sure any human can tell the difference between a human and an ISSCR committee member, unless they elect a rat for president.
Since Cell is recognized as peer-reviewed top Journal, the iPS cells went unchecked all over the world, hailed as the biggest breakthrough of stem cell research, won numerous awards and brought millions of Funding (taken away from embryonic stem cell research) for Yamanaka, and even worse, used by the opponents of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. Yamanaka quickly rose to become the vice president of International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), and even had a committee to campaign for Nobel Prize for him. In 2010, the ISSCR meeting in San Francisco hailed iPS cells as the future of stem cells, and ensured Yamanaka’s glory by censoring scientific presentations of hESCs. Afterwards, ISSCR quickly downgraded “supporting human embryonic stem cell research” to “supporting all forms of stem cell research”, even deleted the title of human from embryonic stem cell research. Imagine all the ISSCR committee members cover their eyes and say “we are not humans”. However, my friends, I am sure any human can tell the difference between a human and an ISSCR committee member, unless they elect a rat for president.
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