Nanog
The scientists have found that boosting a gene called 'Nanog' in a stem cell enabled it to put a brain cell into reverse, that is to strip it of its acquired specialised function and return it to toti-potent stem cell status. So Nanog seems to be the secret that gives cells versatility.
Fr Norman Ford |Salesian moral theologian Fr Norman Ford has weighed in on the stem cell debate among Catholics, insisting that there are pragmatic as well as moral reasons to oppose the cloning of human embryos and the use of embryonic stem cells.
Father Ford also pointed to a possible solution to the ethical problems that beset the field. According to Fr Ford, human body cell nuclei could be transferred to "enucleated eggs" with the result that only "pluripotent stem cells" would be created. This can be achieved by making use of a gene called "Nanog." This results in the formation of pluripotent stem cells which can be cultured to produce a pluripotent stem cell line. "No embryos would be formed and none would be destroyed," Fr Ford said. "This would make both pragmatic and ethical sense without the need of therapeutic cloning," he concluded. Fr Ford's comments came as fertility experts - including several who claim Catholic origins - slammed Cardinal Trujillo's comments as "a step back to the Inquisition."